reading into words
December 20, 2011 § 3 Comments
Eagerly and forcefully my daughter thrusts herself among the pages of books. Frustration and determination clatter noisily, the air around her sparks with energy. Books stacked haphazardly in the window of her room are silent witnesses to her journey, friends she has accumulated along the way.
She began a quiet companion. When I read aloud, my daughter’s eyes would measure my words as I pulled them from the pages of another’s telling. She would watch my mouth willing the story into the air around us. I would monitor her enthusiasm under my lashes bemused by her posture as she leaned into the author’s spell.
In turn, slowly, I became the audience. I celebrated my daughter’s growth, noting her furrowed brow as she curled over the lines of language, conjuring voices, and breathing life into each page. She has journeyed from listener to storyteller, winding her way around self-doubt with perseverance.
Most recently she set aside fiction gathering a dictionary to her side as she nestled into bed. She fell asleep having carefully bookmarked pages with small toys. In the morning she shared each dogeared word with me like colors, twisting and turning them in the light of day so that I might see them more completely.
I am eager for my daughter to paint her world with words, to see through her lens. I am eager for the reader to become the writer.
scribblechic 
Magic. Pure magic.
I love your style. My daughter has had a similar journey. And yes books fill every space in her room. Can be found on shelves, under the bed, in the bed, everywhere.
She has also been writing stories since she was able to form the letters. I recently reposted a summer writing about her love of dictionaries and typewriters, and anything that will form or has formed a word.
I am so glad I found your beautiful blog. Your words are my own.
This is the beauty of sharing, pieces of ourselves mirrored in another’s words. Thank you for the lovely compliment.
I just peeked at your blog and look forward to reading more.