We read almost every night.

Part of it is for their school work, part of it is to pass down what I remember from when I was a child.

Every night, we would lay in bed and have a night time story read to us. It sparked my curiosity for the world around me in so many ways.

The old value tale books taught me of real people in history who did amazing things.

Dr. Suess taught me the joy of silly rhymes. The first book I read was one fish, two fish red fish, blue fish.

One day the words all fell into alignment and made sense.

I never looked back, able to study or read for pleasure much faster than the average person.

Truly the reason I got through university, looking back.

The reason, perhaps, that I love to write, to express myself in the beauty and grace of words, even when I’m sometimes lost for them in the moment.

I never looked back until now.

Watching my five and six year old challenged by words that seem so automatic to me.

Amazed by how they sound out words, with pats and clicks and grunts.

Phrases like “sneaky e” and shy Sherman, b and d interchangeable and tricky.

I’m in awe of how they work through something that is

hard for them, with determination and excitement at their success.

I can’t wait to have warm cozy nights by the fireplace as we read our own books, together in our faraway worlds.