Thursday, February 25, 2010

{literary love affairs...}


It's a cold rainy day in Ottawa today, so I've taken it as my cue to curl up and hibernate in the house. So I'm sitting in front of our fireplace with my Starbucks (not even Mother Nature can keep that part of my day from happening!!!) reading Where the Wild Things Are. The book was a gift to our son from one of my most favourite people in the entire world. Actually, a dear friend of mine recently hosted a baby shower for us in which everyone was asked to bring one of their favourite childhood books for our little boy. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing a gift that is to us!

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I need books like I need oxygen! Our house is covered with them! Our dining room, our living room, our nightstands, our dressers, our bathrooms, our family room bookcases...books are everywhere in our house and it's safe to say that I've had a pretty passionate relationship with each and everyone of them! I truly think that books are one of God's greatest gifts to humanity (you know, right up there with forgiveness, grace and peanut butter!); someone's life, imagination, musings and language, all beautiful bound and perfectly put on paper for the rest of us to get lost in. Few things in this world bring me quite as much joy as falling asleep at the end of the day to someone else's eloquent words.

"Oh how I love thee...let me count the ways..."

I don't like sharing my books though! I know that for many, this type of behaviour is nothing short of sacrilegious but for me, I simply get too attached to risk never seeing them again. My books have followed me through life at its very best and life at its very worst; during an especially difficult time in 2001, White Oleander became my only solace. I read Jane Austen for the first time as we travelled through Australia and Eat, Pray, Love is my ultimate comfort food. Basically, each of my books own a piece of my soul and the very thought of parting with them simply breaks my heart. So I just don't! Instead, they act as reminders of my countless literary love affairs that not only tell their own story...but a piece of mine as well.

I suppose it's needless to say that I do genuinely hope that our son develops the same love for the written word as his father and I have. When I consider how much books have shaped each of our lives, I have a really difficult time imagining a childhood without them. I'm still not entirely convinced that a life that hasn't yet experienced Harry Potter is a life fully lived!

That being said, thanks to our friends and family, our son is starting to give us a run for our money in terms of shelf space...and he's not even here yet!!!

Ours...


His...


Ours...


His...


So consider yourself warned little man...whether you like it or not...to every life a little Dr. Seuss must fall...!!!!

2 comments:

Mary Marantz said...

"eat, pray, love is my ultimate comfort food" I LOVE that!!!

Marie-Josée said...

A book shower - what a great idea! That little man better hurry up, he's got lots of reading to do!