A Tribute to My Mother
 | Happy Book Lover Day to all those whose shelves are spilling over with volumes and whose library hold list is longer than the grocery list. This is the day for those who can remember characters and scenes from books as if they were a part of real life because for this reader at least, they are a part of real life. I owe the origin of my ongoing love of books to my mother. Books were an integral part of my childhood. In our home the bedtime ritual consisted of bath time, tooth brushing, donning snugly pajamas (with footies), and then curling up close to mother as she read us a story. Eventually mother would close the book. We'd beg for more. But mother remained firm. The next chapter would be waiting for us tomorrow night. She would tuck each of us in, kiss us goodnight. I would sigh and close my eyes, wondering what would happen next in the Hundred Acre Wood, if Jim Hawkins would escape Captain Long John Silver, and what magical place Mary Poppins would next take her charges to visit. It was the stuff of dreams. The perfect way to end each day. |
| Mother planned weekly summer outings to the public library. We would pack up our monstrous load of books and walk to the library. Once we stepped through the doors of our little branch library, we were free to roam. Mother never specified that a book was "only for grownups." If I found a book in any section of the library, it was mine to read. Mother always brought a big quilt with her. We would stop at a nearby park, sit under the shady trees, and open up our treasures. After an hour of reading, we would pack up and stop at a shop which featured delicious custom-made popsicles with unique flavors. |  Ah, summer days with new books to read, a shady spot in the park and popsicles. Could there be anything better? |
 A doll created by my grandmother keeps company with a few of my childhood favorites. The pages are old and worn, the bindings are loose. In the case of my well-loved and well-used fairy tale collection, I covered the broken binding with strong adhesive tape because I refused to give up the book. These were my stories. I loved rereading them multiple times. Eventually I loved the cover completely off the book. Such books are some of my dearest and truest childhood friends. These books have shaped my life. |  Mother always made sure that we each received a gift-wrapped book for every holiday and special occasion. She took great care to select a book that she thought each of her children would enjoy and was immensely pleased when her selection became one of our favorites. I continue the tradition with my own family. However now I also use spreads from picture book galleys as gift wrap. Here I used pages from Blizzard by John Rocco. |
Thanks, mom for loving books and for sharing this love with your children.
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