I've always had a love for reading. Many times, my mom tells me that my love of reading is thanks to my grandmother.
When I was young, my grandmother watched me during the day while my parents were at work. While I was only little, I remember spending so much time with her. As I was the only grandchild she watched at the time, we did so many special things together. From what I hear, one of my favorites was story time at the local library.
Each week, my grandmother would pack up my baby bag and take me to the Livingston Public Library. She'd enjoy watching me interact with the storyteller, especially as I got older and into it. There were always fairytales and classic kids tales that were shared. I guess the love of reading started early.
Grandma Mary Anne and baby Megan, fall 1991
When my baby brother and two cousins came along, my grandmother still found the time to take all of us to the library. She always wanted us to check out books and have quiet time at her house during the day, especially in the summertime. We were allowed to pick any books that we wanted and she'd check them out on her library card for us.
Another fun reading tradition that I will always hold close to me is the memories of my grandmother and I reading the same books at the same time. Each year at Christmastime, she'd buy me the newest offering from Meg Cabot in The Princess Diaries series. One for me, and one for her. We'd read a certain number of chapters everyday together and share what we thought.
My grandmother was always willing to do anything to spend time with her precious grandchildren. She was a very crafty lady and all of her grandchildren proudly own quilts that she made herself.
In October of 2010, I lost her to lung cancer very quickly. I miss her every single day and I often wonder what she would say about my career path. My only hope is that I've made her proud.
My latest library finds, March 2021
I still hold a passion for the library today. I love going through stacks of books, especially on rainy days when I can sit down in front of the fire. While my tastes may have aged a bit and I'm not reading the latest Princess Diaries novel anymore, I will always make time for the library.
There is truly something magical about the scent of an old book. I love when the pages are worn and you can barely make out the words. On any given day, you can find me with a book right before bed. There is something to be said about shutting off your phone for the night after a busy day and curling up with a good book.
When I head to the library now, I always think of my grandma and our special traditions. I hope she knows how much she is missed and thought of. Most of all, I hope she comes down from Heaven and spends time with me in the library.
Signing off,
Comments