Goreadabook.

Thewordsthatwereimbeddedinmychildhoodfrommy
motherscreaminginaggravation,everytimemeandmybrotherwouldrunintoher
roomtowhine,andcomplainofhowboredwewere.Istillrememberhowredherlight
skinwouldturn,whenmybrotherandIwouldsquintinconfusionbecauseatthattime
wewereunawareofhowtoread.Iwouldsimplyrunintoourguestroomwheremy
motherkeptherbookcollectionandgrabanybookthathadpicturesinit,whilemy
brotherontheotherhandranmischievouslytohisroomtoplaywithhisHotWheelsand
hisPowerRangers.Amongthebookcollectionthatmymomhadcollectedoverthe
years,whichrangedfromthemystery,tononfiction,tokillernovels,andevenbaby
books.Myfavoritetoreadwaswithinmyowncollectionmymombeganacquiringfor
me;whenshebegantoseemythirstforknowledgeandtounderstandwhatshewas
readingtomegrowyearbyyear.IremembertheoverwhelmingsenseofjoyIwouldget
justbygoingintoBookstores,WalMart,andTargetandgettingbooks.Anytimeshegot
anewJamesPattersonbook,IwasallowedtopickoutabookthatIwantedtoreadas
well.
Growinguptherewerebookseverywhere.Youwouldwalkintothehouseand
seebookslyinginthelivingroomwheremymomwouldreadwhenCSI:CrimeScene
Investigationor48hourswasnoton.Therewerebooksinthekitchenwheremymom
wouldnotonlyhavecookbooks,butbooksthatshewouldreadwhenshewascooking,
therewerebooksinboxes,booksinthebathrooms,andespeciallybooksinmyroom
wheremymotherhadgivenmeherbookshelfthatshehadwhenshewasgrowingup.It
waswood,paintedoverwhite,andfallingapart.Thelegswerebeginningtofalloff,and

someoftheshelveswerebreaking,butIrefusedtothrowitaway,becauseitwasoneof
themanyconnectionsmymomandIhad.Ifeltoverwhelminglyclosetothebookshelf
becauseitwasoncewhatmymomusedtokeepherbooks,andnowItooamableto
enjoyitfortheexactsamereasonmymomdid.
Readingandwritingasachildwasalwaysareleaseforme.Growingupina
singleparenthomereadingtookawayallthechaos.Iwouldreadbooksthatwerehigher
thanmyreadinglevel,justbecausemymomwouldreadthem.Iwassoperplexedon
howmymomwouldreadandfullycomprehendthemeaningofsomanybooksinsucha
smallamountoftime;Iwantedtodotheexactsamething.Iamstillbaffledtodayon
howmymotherisabletoreadthreeJamesPattersonnovelsatatime,Ihavesincegiven
uptryingtoreadasmanybooksasher.
Mymotherinstillingtheimportanceofreadinginmeoftenshowedinmy
educationalworkaswell.TeacherswereoftenbaffledbythewayIwasabletoarticulate
myselfinsuchamannerthatmanyinmysamereadingandwritinglevelwasunableto
do.IremembergoingtoGreenYearRoundElementarySchoolinNorthRaleigh,NCand
learningtoreadandwritepoetry.Iwouldcomehomeandreadpoetry,andthanpractice
onmyown.MyfavoritetoreadwasADreamWithinADreambyEdgarAllanPoe,
andalthoughIwasquiteunabletofullyunderstandthemeaningofthepoem.Ilovedthe
feelingthepoemgaveme,andinturnIwantedtoconveythatsamefeelinginmyown
Poetry.IrememberrunninghomeandseeingthesmileonmymotherfacewhenItold
herIwonawardsonmypoemIwroteinthethirdgradecalledCartwheel.Looking

backonitnowIseehowhorriblethepoemtrulywas,butbackthenIfeltthatIhadwrote
thebestpoemintheworld.
ReadingseemedmagicaltomewhenIwasyoung.Iwouldsitinmyroomand
readtheJunieBJonesseriesbyBarbraParkorAmeliaBedeliabyPeggyParish.I
lovedhowmischievousandunafraidJunieBJoneswas;yetIlovedthesubservienceof
AmeliaBedelia.Althoughtheyweretoocompletelydifferentcharacters,theirsimilarities
gavemethefeelingofempowerment.Asachild,readingalwaystookmetoanother
place.IlovedthefeelingofhowIcouldmakethecharacterssound,look,andfeelhowI
wantedthemtoo.IlovedthecompletecontrolIhaddiscoveredwithineachandevery
bookIread.
AsIgotolderIstartedenjoyreadingevenmore.InmiddleschoolIrentedallof
theDramaHighseriesbyL.Divine.Andmyloveformorerealistreadsgrew,whilemy
imaginationstartedtodiminish.Thecomplexityofmyreadsalsogrew,whichopenedup
myeyestotheworldaroundme.Fromreadsonglobalwarming,toancientEgyptI
wouldbecaughtreadingbymyselforwithmymother.Inaway,readingwasaspecial
bondthatmymotherandIcreatedfromthetimeshewasreadingtome,untilIgrewto
readbymyself,andnowwereadtogether.Itisalwaysafunnystorytotellpeoplewhen
theyaskwhatmymotherandIhaveincommonandIanswerthethirstforknowledge,
andreading,thelookofconfusionontheirfacesforexpectingadifferentanswerisvery
amusing.
Readingaswellservedascopingmechanismforthedeathofmyfather.Growing
upinasingleparenthomecansometimesbeaveryhecticenvironment.Mymotheroften

workedtosupportmybrotherandI,whichmeantthatafamilymemberwouldhaveto
watchusthroughouttheday;andoncewegotolder,wewouldeventuallylearntobe
resourcefulandwatchourselves.AlthoughIreadbecauseIlovedto,anothermainreason
IreadwasbecauseIsawmymotherdoit,andhavingonlyoneparent,Iwantedtohavea
specialbondwithher.Becausemymotherwasworkingsomuch,Iusedreadinginaway
tobeabletograbherattentionandspendtimewithherwhenshewasoffofwork.When
IwouldstressorbegintobesadaboutmyfatherIwouldoftenreadtotakemymindoff
ofmycurrentsituation.Iwouldsitbackinmyroomalldaywiththedoorclosedandjust
readuntilIwouldfallasleepwithabookinmyhands.WhenIwouldfeeldownandout
insteadofcryingorfighting,readingwasmyoutlettotheworld.
Readinghasandalwayswillhaveaspecialplaceinmyheart.Ilovethewaythe
imagescomeoffthepagetocreatevividimages.Readinghelpsoneunderstand
knowledgethatmayhaveoncebeenunattainableforsomeoneatonepointintime.Asa
child,mymotherinstilledinmetheimportanceofreading,aswellasteachingmeto
makereadingenjoyable.Mymindwasbroughttonewhorizonsandmyimagination
grewandtaughtmevaluablelessonsforlife.Readingaswellallowedaspecialbondto
beformedwithmymotherthatcanneverbebroken,andforthatIameternallygrateful.