Reading is FUNdamental

My mom tells a story that when my dad was young and on the rodeo circuit, he carried two suitcases.  One was filled with clothes and the other with books.

My earliest memories are of my mom leaning against the mantle with a novel in her hand, her coffee resting nearby and my dad in his chair, coffee in one hand, book in the other.  Our house was filled with books.  They were stacked double high in bookcases.  The were piled on end tables.  They were stacked next to couches and on coffee tables.  It is really no surprise that out of four children, all four of us developed a deep love of reading.

My friends think that my obsession with books is a result of my innate nerdom.  When I tell them that Becky - stylish, cool Becky - loves anything by Jane Austen and reads almost as much as I do, they're surprised.  When I say that Melissa - hip, LA Melissa - has read every thing from Moby Dick to Twilight, they get wide-eyed.  When I tell them that Rachel - active, popular Rachel - has piles of books in her house, they finally get it.

When you walk into my home, the first thing you see is a pile of books on each of the end tables.  Walking towards the kitchen, you see a book on the bar and eight next to the computer.  Joseph's room has a long shelf of books, books above his window and stacked in cubbies.  Elizabeth's door is held open with a stack of books and there are piles under her crib that are looking for a home.  And then you go into our room...a bookshelf is filled with Books to be Read while five large bookcases are crammed full of Books that are Loved.  There are four books on each nightstand and at least one on the floor.  Like my parents' home, my house is filled with books. 

A new study came out that said having books in the house is more important than the level of parental education.  Instead of thinking of all my books as clutter, I'm now looking at them as ensuring my children's education.

I like it.  Makes me think I should pick up a few more...