Reading and the Power of Words

Reading has always been one of my favorite past times.  When I was little my mother would tell my siblings and I to form a circle on the living room floor so we could have story time.  She entertained us for at least two hours reading books and changing her voice to reflect each of the characters. She often read books from the "I Can Read All By Myself: Beginner Books" Collection.  I loved these books because the repetition made it easier for me to memorize. They were also my favorite because of the voices and facial expressions my mother used were the best! Whenever it was my turn to pick the books of the day, my sisters got annoyed. I picked the same three books every time.  Are You My Mother?, Green Eggs and Ham, and Oh The Places You'll Go were my absolute favorite books.  As I write this post I can still her my four year old self screaming, "I do not like them Sam-I-Am. I do not like green eggs and ham!" and asking the question along with the little bird, "Are you my mother?" After I started reading in the first grade I would read the books to my mother and sisters with the same excited tone my Mother used when she read to us.  I continued to read throughout my K-12 years.  I believe that since my mother showed me the importance of reading at such a young age I have always had a love and appreciation for words.  Words have so much power and sometimes they overpower actions.  Reading encouraged me to write my own stories as a child. I had notebooks full of stories and poems.