Relationship to written word
Since my mother was a Jehovah's Witness, my mother incorporated reading into bible study when I was a child. Therefore, we consistently attended three church meetings per week. My family and I would read the weekly reading in preparation for these meetings, as my mother required everyone to attend. This practice was annoying, but it helped my siblings and me learn to read at a tender age. As a result, I developed an aversion to reading without being required by my instructors or parents.
As a child, reading was incorporated through bible study since my mother was a Jehovah's Witness member. Therefore, we constantly attended church meetings three times a week. My family and I would prepare for these meetings by reading the weekly reading as my mother made it compulsory for everyone to attend. Although I found this practice annoying, it helped my siblings and I learn how to read at a young age. Therefore, I developed a habit of not liking to read any materials without having being forced by my teachers or parents.
I did not enjoy reading until in my early twenties when my marriage was on the verge of ending. At that time, there was too much fighting and chaos, which was not healthy for my son and I. To keep my sanity and be out of the house without an issue, I started taking my son to the library, where he would do his homework and enjoy some peace. At that time, Twilight Saga had become popular when I also fell in love with books and essentially the books offered by Hesperia Library. My love for reading developed when I took my son to the library as I would go through some books as I waited for him to finish his homework. I, therefore, started reading books from the young adult section, and made it a regular activity. This was a crucial time for me to start enjoying reading as I had started the adult journey.
A couple of years ago, I joined a book club, which allows me to review the books I am interested in before purchasing. My favorite genre is fiction because it helps me imagine how the book could be transformed into a movie. However, when I watched the first Twilight movie, I was not impressed because the characters in my mind did not match the characters in the actual film. I just completed reading “The people we keep” by Allison Larkin, a coming-of-age fiction book which feels like reading a lifetime movie. Joining the book club has helped me keep up with reading as it can be challenging for me as a mom and a full-time employee as well as a student to get time to read. I always spare fifteen minutes before bed and after waking up to read, which have become the favorite parts of my day.
Reading has helped me handle my anxiety condition as it allows me to rest and clear my mind. Early last year, my family lost several loved ones that took a toll on my mental health. Reading helped me heal fast as I would keep myself busy with various books, which helped me clear the thoughts of losing loved ones. Grabbing a good book and going to the beach on a calm day when it is not crowded, and reading until the sun goes down gives me a sense of calmness and tranquility. Reading has not only helped with my mental health, but it has also helped with my schoolwork as I can now achieve the compulsory reading required by the school. Reading has become a part of the person I am today, and I also taught my children the importance of reading who now spare a particular time of the day to read books they are interested in.
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