This post is dedicated to like-minded, passionate, obsessive Book Lovers, Bookworms, Book Collectors, Book Hoarders and Geeks! 😀💓
As a child, right upto the end of my school years, I would feel sleepy while reading a book. I would only indulge in the amount of reading, as prescribed by the school curriculum for that year.
But, I do remember the joy, each year, on receiving the books for the next year. Seeing those fresh books would always bring me joy 😍.
Dad had taught us how to cover our books - a very meticulous process, that we followed to the T. In my case, I really enjoyed the process. During our initial school years, Dad would do the books' covering, and we would be his assistants-in-training. Then, as we grew older, we were given this responsibility to handle independently. I got a little OCD about it, and later, would cover all the books in my personal library 😆.
But, then, as an adult, the once joyful process, started to feel unnecessary and redundant. So, I gave up being OCD about it. Now, I selectively cover the books that I really want to cover.
Another school days' memory, is being in the school library, and later being, in the college library. Something, about being surrounded by books, always, made me feel calm and excited, simultaneously. In school, I would find a way to escape PT (Physical Ed Class), and be in the library, reading Tintin's and Nancy Drew's.
In college, during exams, many of us would sit in the library to study. It is a vast library, holding all kinds of books. Absolutely, fascinating 💓! It is during college days, that I started to enjoy reading.
I got so excited about reading, that I used a lot of saved pocket money to start and build my own personal library of Nancy Drew's, Perry Mason's, Agatha Christie's and books on personality development (as I was an introvert and not very vocal), languages (I enjoyed dabbling in several languages), etc. And the books during this period are all beautifully covered in Dad's style.
During work days, and travel, my tastes in books, changed. My library started to include books on Management, Resources, Productivity, and also spirituality. The way I chose a book, also seemed to have refined. I started to pay attention to what would engage me, and continue to hold my attention, and encourage its reading till the end. I would randomly open any page, to check my reaction to the font, its size, the general layout of the page, and also, the style of writing. If the book checked all my preset boxes, I would buy the book, else it went back on the shelf.
I also noticed a synchronicity with the books I chose. Anytime, I found myself struggling with a question, the exact book that had its answer, would stand out at me. I still enjoy such synchronicities, and love it everytime it happens.
I would wander into all sized bookstores, and just love being there. Later, I realised, I also feel the same in a Music Store, among Musical Instruments! And if such store, has Instruments and Books, awwww, that's my version of Heaven on Earth 😍💓!
When Sam was born, actually, I think, before he was born, I had already started collecting books for him. I would read to him even during the pregnancy. Voila! He turned out to be just like me! A Books' and Musical Instruments' lover! Like Mother, like Son 😍💓!
Sam is an avid reader. He started reading at 2.3 yrs!!! I was over the moon! Our personal library grew by leaps and bounds! Between us, we have a room full of books, in varied categories. To add to that, my sister, who also is an avid reader, gave us her books before she left for UK. So, we have a huge collection of books, and keep adding to it, like book addicts!
SoulNotes to Self: Happiness is...being surrounded by Books! & Musical Instruments! 💓💓💓 our HEAVEN on EARTH!
Reading is a wonderful habit that we must make an effort to introduce to our children, at an early age.
I am blessed that my Sam loves reading, and that we share a common love for books, libraries, bookstores, musical instruments, music stores! It OUR thing, that we enjoy doing together.
To us, happiness is...
...visiting a bookstore,
...returning from the bookstore with a bunch of great new books,
...losing ourself in a good book,
...finishing a phenomenal book and having another great one to move on to,
...the good books on our bedside table, that we keep going back to,
...an overflowing personal library (and our collection of Musical Instruments)
...a book sale!
May you too enjoy books, and reading, as much as we do!
Love, from our soul to yours!
Soulful 💓
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