I'm hitting the road south today, driving four hours to the big city to be with my dad on his 78th birthday. Our Christmas visitors have only just left so the house is still a bomb site and I haven't had a chance to get Dad a present yet, but the kids don't care about any of that, they just want to go and have birthday cake with 'Pops'.
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| My Dad, Leo |
I can't quite believe Dad's 78, I always think of him as about mid forties, a golf trundler in his hand or wearing his orange towelling hat while digging in the vegetable garden. He was a high school principal with a Masters degree in history and my dad has always loved a great story.
We lived in small country towns while dad was climbing the career ladder and I remember those years as quiet family times. The week would be filled with school and music lessons, dance classes and play dates, but the time I looked forward to the most was Saturday mornings.
Every Friday night Dad would go to the pub after work. After a beer or two with his mates he'd go next door to the town library, about the only other place open on a Friday night! I'd be oblivious to all this of course, tucked up in bed and fast asleep. But boy can I remember the thrill of waking up every Saturday morning. It was as if Santa had been - there, at the end of my bed would be a brand new pile of books, ready for me to open carefully and spend the next few hours devouring.
Of course I guess it was a smart move on dad's part - getting a bit of peace and quiet for him and Mum on a Saturday morning, but for me and my brother and sister, it started a lifelong love of reading. I can still remember so many of those titles, and that feeling that every book is a great gift, a surprise, and something to be savoured in my own quiet time.
Coincidentally, the postman arrived with a special delivery this week, the first hard copies of one of my own books. The feelings as I opened that box were so similar to all those Saturday mornings years ago. Maybe I've found the perfect gift to give to the man whose name is part of mine and who has given me a lifelong love of books.
Did you have anyone in your life inspire your love of books and reading? A parent? A grandparent? A special teacher? I'd love to hear about it.
I got my love of reading romances from my paternal grandmother. She was a farm girl, but had gone to school and taught French before marrying. She always had boxes or Harlequin Presents books that she'd read and I used to sneak them to read when we visited during the summers. LOL
ReplyDeleteMarcy Shuler
Hi Marcy, I think there were a LOT of grandmothers the world over who passed on their love of reading romance novels. Your grandma sounds fabulous!
DeleteI love your delightful Saturday morning memories, Barbara! It's such a gift to be encouraged to have a love of reading! I'm very grateful that both my parents were avid readers and it's something they passed on to my sister and me. And then when I was in my early teens, I went to stay with a girlfriend and her mum had shelves of romances! I thought I was in heaven!
ReplyDeleteWhat great timing for your box of books to have arrived in time for your dad's birthday! Have a great time and drive carefully!
I totally agree, Sharon. My kids have always treated books like treasures and I love that. Your parents obviously had a huge influence of your love of reading.
DeleteWe've just had the cake and Dad has opened his parcel with my book in it. It was a very special moment.
Barbara
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memory and a big Happy Birthday to your Dad :)
It was my Mum who passed her love of reading onto me Mum was always reading and always encouraged us to read as well and would take us to the public library on Saturday mornings and when we got home from school on library days she would ask us what books we borrowed that day, as I got older she shared her books with me and I read many a Mills & Boon and got my love of historical romance from Mum
Have Fun
Helen
Thanks, Helen! We've just had a lovely big carrot cake and glass of bubbles. Very nice after the long car trip.
DeleteI can almost feel your mum's love of books through you. What a special gift, and I bet you've passed that on to your children and grandchildren too.
What a gorgeous story, Barb! I can still feel your Saturday morning excitement.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember not loving books and reading. I don't know who I inherited it from, but my parents certainly encouraged it. One of my favourite memories is of the old bookmobile that used to do the rounds in our country area. Plonking myself down in the children's section was one of my delights. :-)
I've never heard of a bookmobile, Michelle! Was it a mobile library?I can imagine it was just as exciting as my Saturday morning discoveries.
DeleteBarb, you have it right -- a bookmobile is a mobile library. It was this great long truck that would park in specific spots on certain days for a designated time. I was always so excited whenever I spotted it. :-)
DeleteWhat a faboulous inspiration to start your life long love of reading.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember how started me loving books, but Mum definitely encourage me to read. I do wonder if my delay in developing speech started my love of reading. All I remember is that I've always be a voracious reader.
That's so interesting about your delay in speech possibly affecting your love of reading, Lyn. I wonder what the research says about that. I guess it would make sense that you immersed yourself in reading as an outlet.
DeleteLOVE this post, Barb. What an inspiration your Dad has been and how proud he must be of you. Hope you have a wonderful visit with loads of laughter, stories and cake!
ReplyDeleteMy reading inspiration came from wonderful teachers: the first was Miss Hunt, my Grade 3 teacher and first when I moved from our tiny one-teacher-one-classroom country school where I'd spent my first 3 school years to the slightly larger town where I spent the rest of my school days. I was intensely shy and overawed and she took me under her wing, was caring and supportive and introduced me to the school library. Oh, joy. She was still teaching when my eldest son started school and was his first teacher. How lucky he was.
He certainly has been, Bron.I'm especially proud as I think it's a little unusual for a dad to be such a positive role model for reading but her certainly has been,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the sound of Miss Hunt. Teachers like her can have such an incredibly positive influence on their students - for a lifetime.
I love that your Dad got you books to read every week. I'm not too sure who inspired me to read but my mom was responsible for my love of romance. I can't remember when I didn't have a book in my hand. I do know that I went through all my teacher's private libraries. Where I grew up we didn't have a library until I was about ten years old. A bunch of ladies set up a volunteer library and supplied some books each. Every three months a boxes of books would arrive from our provincial library on loan for three months. There was a rush on those books.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad used to take me (when I was in primary school) to the library on a Thursday evening when it was open late. My brother, sister and I would love getting a new load of books each week. It's so nice to have these memories, Barb. Thanks for sharing your lovely story.
ReplyDeleteOh, Barb, you bring tears to my eyes. Dad's are so special. Enjoy the birthday celebrations.
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