Reading

Our 6 year old granddaughter, Rylee, earned her certificate for reading 100 books! Go Rylee! We are so proud of her! I think one of the best things a person can learn in this life to promote their education, self-esteem, and sense of wonder is reading. How well I remember learning to read, "See Jane and Dick...". Back then there weren't a whole lot of children's books to be had in elementary school (perhaps that is why we learned to read at a later age?), so it's no wonder that us baby boomers remember reading about Dick and Jane.

When Rach was pre-kindergarten one day she just exclaimed, "They are so lucky!" I had to inquire as to who she was talking about... why, her brothers and sister, of course! And why were they so lucky? Because they could read. She could not wait to get her hands on books and begin her adventure into the world of reading. She remains an avid reader today, as do most of her siblings.

In fact when Craig was little he was a bit of a troublemaker at times. One day when my parents were visiting I was scolding him and said, "If you don't take care of _____, no reading for you tonight!" My parents were astounded, especially my dad. I had to explain that it was one of the few privileges that Craig had that would make an impact on him, to the point of having him take care of whatever it was that needed taking care of. That said, he did the chore, and that was that.

So, I am especially grateful that Rylee has accomplished such a wonderful goal. To learn to read - opens a whole new world, and what a wonderful world it is.