Why I Love to Read

Since Mother's day just passed and Father's day is just around the corner I figured why not talk about why I love to read. This passion stems from my parents (both of whom are avid readers themselves). Like many parents they would read to me all the time when I was young and would take me to the library so that I could pick out which books I would like to read. I guess this is where it all began. I looked around at the library and realized that I wanted nothing more than to read every book ever written. Now at the time I thought that just included the books that I saw before my eyes (only to later find out that reading every book ever written is physically impossible... but that is a story for another day). Later on in life my parents both pushed me to expand the limits of what I thought I was ready to tackle. I remember in middle school my mom introduced me to Kate Chopan, which I plan to reread soon because I feel that I will appreciate it more now that I am older. My dad taking the cue that I was ready then handed me novels from John Steinbeck and Charles Dickens, just to name a few. They both insisted (and still do to this day) that I needed to try things outside of my comfort zone but still allowed me the freedom to choose what it was that I wanted to read.

I am not saying that I haven't ever had a little slump because I did during college. I did not have any desire to read for fun during those four years and I now refer to that period of my life as the dark ages. I honestly cannot remember reading one novel for fun or because I just wanted to and that is ok. We all need breaks from things, even things that we once loved. To make up for this period of time I now buy books and read at an astounding rate. I do have four years worth of literature to make up for after all. Right now at this point in my life I crave books because I love to be to escape into another world for a few hours. I truly feel that by reading you live a thousand lives because you become attached to the characters to the point that you feel their pain and may even shed a few tears for them and are elated when things work out in the end. Through books I have traveled all over the United States and to many other countries. I have been given the opportunity to learn about other cultures and their beliefs, customs, and traditions.

I may not always get to read as much as I want to but I firmly believe that like my parents when I am older I will always have a book in my hand. Thank you mom and dad for teaching me to love reading and giving me a passion for learning. You have given me the greatest gift of all.