Can you hear the sound of your child reading? It sounds like love to me. You took that child in your arms, you held them close and pulled out your favorite book. It’s the book your mom or dad read you, or maybe your grandparent read it to you. You loved that book so much, and anyone can see that. It has wear at the corners, it has pages that were accidentally torn and taped back together very carefully. It’s faded from that time when you were six and you left it on the couch in the sun. It’s covered in love from all the hands that have touched it and now your child is touching it too. Now your child is sitting curled up on the floor, in their blanket fort, digesting every bit of that story. You don’t hear much while they’re reading, but you know that what you do hear, that silence, is just that same excitement that you felt.
Can you hear them acting out the story that they love? You remember that feeling yourself. Maybe it was a handsome prince coming to save you; maybe you were that warrior; maybe you were the “fell beast” of the story or the dragon that killed the knight, or saved the day. You remember when you were the pirate or pirate queen on the high seas. Your son, daughter, child is doing that now. Yes, it can be obnoxious the 50th time. Maybe they’re being loud when you need some quiet time, but listen. Listen because you won’t remember how tired you were or the quiet you needed. You’ll remember how fun and happy you were that they loved the story that much to re-enact every picture of it, adding their own behavior to the story. They are the swashbuckling pirate, the viking shield-maiden, the adventuring horseman on a daring adventure, fighting down their opponents, getting that treasure, or slaying that treacherous beastie! They throw their small body into every action, and they do it with such gusto that it brings a smile to your face, a lightness to your heart, and maybe even a tear to your eye.
Can you hear them sharing that story with their friends? Their friends got married and they are having their first child. That child-like excitement comes into their voice and tells their friends of their favorite book growing up. You remember when that was you. Maybe it’s the same book, maybe it’s one that they love. They’re spreading the love and joy and adventures of their favorite stories; they know their friends would love it for their own children, or they hope they will.
Can you hear them reading that story out loud from the other room? You’re a grandparent now. It happened so quickly. You tear up from the other room. You hear them bustling around in the living room, or the baby’s room. They’re picking up your grandson or daughter. They’re wiping away the tears of the baby that didn’t know why it was crying except that it needed mom or dad. They say something like, “Oh, I know it’s the end of the world, but you’ll be okay.” They soothe in their own way, but the baby doesn’t stop that little half-cry that they let out wondering if you’re going to set them down and leave them again- just like when you leave your pup in the house to check the mail and they wonder if you’ll ever come back. You sit there drinking your tea and you hear those oh so familiar words of your favorite story begin. Maybe it’s “Once upon a time, there lived a daring night.” Maybe it’s “A beautiful pirate queen lived on an island deep in the Caribbean.” You close your eyes as you hear your daughter or son read their favorite story to their child for the first or 50th time, and you know that the people you love are well cared for because they had a good story to be told by a familiar voice, and a loving hand to soothe their worries. You can rest now.