Reading books...

How important is reading in my life?

Very. Very important. Reading has not only made me the person that I am or always provided me information I need. Reading has saved me not just once, but so many times in so many ways. Reading is like breathing to me. I cannot live without books. I cannot let a day pass without reading. Reading is as important to me as the sun is to plants and the soul is to the body. So, yes, reading is very important to me. It is my key to survival!

I think I have written about reading and my affair with books a number of times on this blog. I grew up with books around me. My parents both love reading and they've influenced me a great deal to be the kind of reader that I am. Ever since I was a child, reading has always been a huge part of my life, something that has always been automatic in my system. Happy, sad, lonely, excited, angry, confused, lost, problematic, grateful... whatever my state of mind or emotional state is, I read, read and read.

Reading has never failed me. It has always kept me going. I've always been inspired by books whenever I need inspiration the most. With the help of books, I've always realized the best thing to do whenever I'm in a dilemma or in conflict with some people. Books have even taught me how to act and what to do in situations I may have never imagined I would be in. Books have helped me walk through life with grace and courage, with confidence and security. Through books, I've experienced things and I've gone to places I can only imagine and I came to understand people and life in general.

And, now, reading is once again proving its worth and serving its purpose in my life. When my father passed away, I didn't think I could handle the pain nor could I ever get over the loss and the emptiness. I know that I will forever be changed and I will never be the same with him not being around anymore. But, one of the most important gifts he gave me, the love for reading, is keeping me where I'm supposed to be at. It has been, these days, like all other days, keeping me together, helping me deal with the loss and making me see things in a way clearer than I ever thought I could.

I thank God for books. I thank the authors for their writing. I thank my parents for the gift of reading. I thank my teachers for teaching how to read. With reading and all the books that are available for all of us, Alhamdulillah (God be praised), it is such a blessed world! :)

Let me share with you something that I always tell my students in the hope of promoting the love for reading:
"Books are my best friends. They really are the best friends one could have. And, the library or the bookstore is my happy place."

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And, here's a quote that I've always loved:
"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors,
and the most patient of teachers."
--Charles W. Eliot
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My library is my ocean!