Yesterday was my mom’s birthday and she would have been 69 years old. I lost my mom in September 2011. I have my good days and I have my not so good days when I miss her terribly. I just wanted to take time out to say thank you to her.
We didn’t always have the best relationship, but we had a common love for reading and books and that kept us going and made things easier for us.
My mother gave me the greatest gift when she taught me how to read and introduced me to the world of books and reading at the age of 3. I have so many memories of my mom just sitting and reading when she wasn’t busy handling wife and mother duties. The first books that I can remember seeing her read are the books by Donald Goines and I have her copies from her bookshelves even though I have yet to read them myself. My mom read those books and she read Terry McMillan, Bebe Moore Campbell, and other authors. Horror was also another of her favorite genres.
The first books I can remember picking out myself once I started reading were the Berenstein Bear books. I remember reading them from the picture books up to the chapter books.
One thing my mom always told me was that I would never increase my reading level if I didn’t read things that challenge me from time to time and that I should never just stay in my comfort zone with what I read. I try to read a little of everything.
I have two books on my shelf that mean so much to me and they are books that I have read over and over and plan to read them again sometime soon. Those books are The Color Purple by Alice Walker and I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde. I can still remember the day I saw my mom purchase I, Tituba in the bookstore. I told her at that time that I was going to be able to read that book one day. I didn’t know that it would become one of my favorite books and that it would be a book that my mom and I would be able to discuss for years to come. The Color Purple is another book that we were able to discuss. I first read it in sixth grade and as I read it again and again over the years, our discussions of the book became more in depth.
I really wish my mom was here to see that I have started my own blog about books and have taken the time to dedicate my social media and time to books. This hobby that she blessed me with has taken on a mind of it’s own and has also brought some very interesting people in my life.
I participate in a local bookclub (Page Turners), I am slowly building my own personal library, and I have even been a guest on a podcast (3 Book Girls).
Reading and books are my absolute favorite things I got from her . I miss her dearly but I know that she is happy about where I am and is very happy to see what my love of reading and books has brought me.
I have also passed this love down to my own children and that makes me very happy as well.
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