I just bought a few books from a used book store, and I've been tearing through them. I usually read with a pen in my teeth, so I can underline the parts I like. I also like to write in the margins when I make a mental connection. My high school English teacher used to call it "active reading." A few nights ago, my son caught me active reading, and he screamed at me.
"Mom! You can't do that!"
"Do what?" I said.
"Make marks!"
I laughed, then asked him to scribble all over in the margins, just to force him out of whatever preconceived rule he thought he was breaking. As he flipped through the rest of the book, he was surprised to see that other people had underlined parts ,too. The whole exercise blew his mind and cracked me up.
Reader, it's odd that even at 7 years-old, we're afraid to touch something for fear that we'll mess it up. What else are we alive for if not to leave our mark here, maybe make a few mental connections with our fellow humans? As we go through our week, let's not forget to leave thoughtful marks in every way we can. Life is way too short to be afraid of messing it up.
I leave you with this picture of the snowdrop flowers in our woods. Just because spring is so lacey and beautiful. See you next Monday. -Em
