All that I read becomes a part of me.

Books have played such a vital role in my life. It is virtually impossible to imagine becoming me without them.  Being read to by my parents and older sister is one of my earliest memories.  Some childhood gems still sit on the shelf with dog-eared pages worn thin and soft from use.  While owning books was a luxury in our one-income family, reading was an absolute necessity.  The library became my favorite room in school and my favorite building in town.  Books, and more importantly their authors, filled the gaps in my education and experience.  They exposed me to the realm beyond my immediate reality, allowing me to gain a perspective that would have otherwise been unattainable.

When my sons came along, I could not wait to share the magic of books with them.  Cuddled up together in a comfy chair, we read every day, sometimes for hours.  One of my greatest pleasures was introducing them to characters they could learn from and admire, even come to love, as I had.  Helping them learn to read was like handing them the world.  This section is devoted to examining the transformative power of books and their role in assisting our efforts to create A HeARTful Home.