There are many things for which I am thankful to my mother. I remember how my mother made my siblings and me her top priority. Taking care of us was her number one job, and she did it with much love.
On this Mother’s Day, I asked myself what would stand out among the many things I appreciate from my mom. My first thought – her love of reading. My mother has always loved to read. I remember how she had stacks and boxes of romance novels and inspirational books in her room. Whenever she had some downtime, when she didn’t have to drive us anywhere or do household errands, she would be engrossed in a book.
My mother made it clear to us that books and reading are important. She didn’t overindulge us with toys and she was very practical with clothes and other things, but she never scrimped on books. If we asked to buy a book, she would say yes. She let us choose our own books for pleasure reading. She just wanted us to develop a love of reading.
There was one summer vacation during my elementary years when my sister and I got chickenpox. We were quarantined in our shared bedroom for weeks. Our only source of entertainment was a steady supply of Nancy Drew books.
I love to read. I’ve kept the habit of reading before going to sleep. I try to read when I have downtime, like when I am waiting in a clinic or at my children’s sports practices. Reading teaches me things, entertains me and brings me places. When my children were very young, I read to them every night. Now that they can read on their own, I just do my best to make books available to them. I let them choose their books for pleasure reading. And I hope that I have successfully passed on my mother’s wonderful gift to me – the love of reading.