Reading too much into it?

Recently I have started reading stories to Namnam.It is something that I have tried to do ever since she was a year and a half.But her fascination for books,papers and anything remotely related to that was confined to biting or tearing them into pieces!So much so that R,who works in a publishing house that take out about 4 magazines in a month,was anything but amused at his daughter’s love for destroying his sole source of income!Thankfully,with time,she outgrew the phase and found more interesting things to do.

So I was happy,when,a couple of months back,Namnam brought a book to me and insisted on being read to.Soon this turned into a practice and she began to love this.And I,even more so at this new phase of mother-daughter bonding!

Reading is a virtue that needs to be cultivated.In fact it should be an integral part of your growing up.

The more you read,the more you grow,the wiser you become.To me,a well read person commands more respect than a highly qualified one.I know of many people who are well-educated,hold doctorates even,yet their knowledge is limited to the field of their specialty only.If you ask them about something outside of their expertise,they would be ignorant.Why?Because they dont feel the need to read or widen their horizon.

My Ammamma was not very highly educated in the permissible sense of the word.Yet she was so well read that her intellect and wisdom could match up to any person holding a bachelor or master’s degree.

Not everyone can have a passion for reading,I agree.I dont boast of being a voracious reader myself.I dont pick up anything and everything that comes my way to read.But I do find the whole aspect engaging.Even empowering at times when I realize I’ve gained some knowledge too in the process.And I’m so glad to say here that my reading has increased thousand-fold ever since I started blogging.

I was chatting with my father-in-law while drafting this post.He said one of his cousins was gifting him a CD listing the names of 1000 books!I’ve no doubt,though,that of those 1000,Appaji would have read 800 already.His excitement was evident in the words he typed on the messenger.His books are his greatest companions.There’s nothing that gives him more pleasure than reading.I so admire him for that and respect him even more.

I’m yet to know how much Namnam is going to acquire the habit of reading though.However,I’d like to try and make sure to do my bit by inculcating in her the love of it.

Let me sign off with a quote by Maya Angelou that is apt to the present context..

Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.