Books #22

I grew up in a home that valued learning. One of the ways was this was evidenced was by the vast number of bookshelves filled with books, often double deep and sagging middles due to the weight of all the volumes. Books and magazines were often overwhelming coffee tables, sofa cushions and more. You might say we decorated with books! I remember when a door to door encyclopedia salesman came by the house and, in spite of already having a set, we easily talked my dad into buying another set! There were so many books on everything from Songbirds to nonfiction, biography andTheology, fiction and book series, of which we had the entire collection! Needless to say, all of my parent’s children and grandchildren have inherited the family book gene!

I learned to read at an early age. I remember my first library card. My favorite books changed over the years but some of my favorites included Nancy Drew, Honey Bunch, The 5 Little Peppers, and the Bobsey Twins which I inherited from my mom’s childhood collection. I devoured many series including Anne of Green Gables and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books. When I got to Junior High I discovered the allegory and Hind’s Feet on High Places and the Chronicles of Narnia moved to the top of my favorites list. I found science fiction and fantasy in high school and my list of favorites continued to grow!

I always wanted to be a librarian (Miriam the Librarian) and was very disappointed when an English teacher in high school discouraged me from pursuing that as a major and career. I felt vindicated when I was hired at the Waukegan Public Library as  children’s reference librarian years later.

Anyway, these days are full of purging for both me and my mom and some of the items being purged are books. While somethings are outdated and need to go, many books have become like good friends making it even harder to say goodbye. Books are magical. They transport us, teach us, open our eyes and our hearts to places, times and people we never knew existed. They can transform our thinking and perspective, inspiring us to think more deeply about our own reality. Books grow our sense of imagination and creativity and can help us problem solve. A good book can challenge and deepen our resolve. For me they become like a good friend.

Now, let’s go to the obvious conclusion – The Good Book. The B-I-B-L-E. It is an interesting thing that rereading it over and over it so fresh and meaningful. It is truly a living book and so much more. My point for now is the actual print bibles I have owned that I learn my way around and the pages become so familiar that it is hard to “switch” to a different one.

I hope that heaven is full of good books. I know it will be full of good friends!