Reading has always been one of my favorite pastimes. I have always been intrigued by stories with a simple, yet impactful storyline. This is one of the reasons why I will never outgrow children’s books. As a mother, I shared these stories with my twins, Eric and Brian. Now, as a grandmother, I find myself sharing them again with my grandchildren.
When my son Brian became an uncle with the birth of Eric’s son, Hays, he purchased two copies of the popular children’s book Love You Forever: one for Eric’s wife Katie and one for me. He fell in love with the book after reading it to his adopted niece several years ago. Tears filled my eyes as he shared his excitement about reading the story to Hays and singing its trademark song:
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
My baby you’ll be.
Those four lines are so simple, yet they have an incredible beauty. Children’s literature often says so much with just a few words or phrases. Another favorite story that I read to the boys was Goodnight Moon. It taught my boys to appreciate what they had and they loved saying “Goodnight!” to every item in their room like the little bunny in the story. As a child, I remember my fondness for the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales, especially The Elves and the Shoemaker and Three Billy Goats Gruff. I never got tired of learning how the shoes were made or how the billy goats defeated the troll.
These timeless stories are just a few of the many that filled my childhood and those of my sons and grandchildren. Some of these books may even be on your own bookshelves. I look forward to sharing many more bedtime stories and “just because” stories with the special children in my life.