Literacy

For a sure-fire stress buster, try reading to a child.

You may have tangible wealth untold

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold

Richer than I you can never be-

I had a mother who read to me.

By Strickland Gillilan

Often quoted, this is the last of five stanzas of his poem. The other four stanzas depict the material read to a boy.

Usually parents read to a child at bedtime. This practice eases and prepares a child's mind for sleep but I found it also eases a parent's mind from the stresses of the day. Fathers should get into the practice as well, so they can discover the bonding and the ease of mind it brings to them.

Reading has always been a passion of mine. I know my mother read to me, but I remember (even 70 years later) my grandmother's voice as she read the Grimm's "One eye, Two eyes and Three eyes" fairy tale. Sometimes Gramma was persuaded to read it a second time on the night she babysat. Why? Because it was the longest story in the book, so we could stay up later! It was a pretty good tale too. Many of the Grimm's stories were gross, but the worst was "Bluebeard". We never chose that one. When we were older and could read the simple stories for ourselves, Mom read us the novels like Bambi, Black Beauty and Beautiful Joe.

I began reading to my dolls and ran a library in my bedroom for their benefit. I loved stories. Still do! Only now I conceive and write them myself. So I know that reading to a child can instigate a lifetime of pleasure for the child.

However, the need for literacy can be more critical as you'll see.