The joy of reading

One night a few months ago, we got a call from our daughter Mao telling us she would drop by our house in Scarborough for dinner. Seeing us from time to time is her routine; she’s been doing this regularly as her way of bonding with us.

Oncoming, she clutched her little book. Then, a few minutes later, without even taking off her thick jacket, she began eating her dinner—a bowl of hot sinigang na baboy and an eggplant omelet; these viands were good enough for the cold weather that night. After eating, she immediately rushed to the sofa bed, sprawled there, and began reading her book, feeding her mind.

While reading, she momentarily stopped and said, “Dad, I want to have as much time as possible so I can do a lot of reading. I wish I could finish one book in a day. But the problem is, there are a lot of distractions in this life that prevent me from doing it.”

That’s all I’d like to do, read one book the whole day. If I need something to munch on, maybe I would raise my hand, and then someone would readily come by to give me something to fill me up. She said that would be great because I would have all the time in the world doing nothing but reading.

That’s my daughter’s view of what a good life is in today’s stressful world.

With these life distractions, could I read the Globe and Mail newspaper four days after I had bought it? , Mao added.

Reading is an excellent way to unwind and relax, absorb infinite knowledge, and travel to exotic places without leaving home; remember the slogan, “Have Book—Will Travel?” When you read a book or a magazine, the world seems right in your hands, momentarily keeping you away from life’s cares and worries.

Reflecting on why my children love reading, I’m sure I have strongly influenced them because growing up, they would always see me reading books, newspapers and other stuff; indeed, I’ve rubbed off the habit of reading on them.

In the Philippines, I would rather spend the money I saved from my daily school allowance and my baon to buy books at the Popular bookstore on Dorotheo Jose or Erehwon in Malate. While studying at the Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila, reading in the library was not only a routine way to while away time but also a joyful way to expand my horizons in understanding history and human nature and dream of the endless possibilities this life could offer me.

Reading is a part of my life; it’s in my blood, as it were.

As I write this piece, some books such as Nick Joaquin’s Culture and History, Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, Jose F. Lacaba’s Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, The Nieman Foundations Telling True Stories, and Julia Cameron’s The Creative Life surround me; I want these books always to be within my reach because when my mind goes blank, all I have to do is read one of them — after a while, I’m much refreshed and reinvigorated, and ready to go back writing.

But with all these books around me, tidying up the house is always an issue.

Because of my love affair with books, setting up my mini library is a fulfillment of one of my life’s dreams. Acquiring these books, old magazines, music, and movie CDs over these years is an achievement I’ve valued so much.

Except for the entire volume of leather-bound Encyclopedia Britannica, which my daughter Mao bought with her first salary as an RN in 1995, the rest of the books on the shelves of this little library came from my pocket.

I have acquired several from the National Bookstore in the Philippines and the World’s Biggest Bookstore in downtown Toronto, but most of them have been bought from second-hand bookstores, Goodwill, Value Village and other thrift shops.

Frankly, it’s much easier to buy these books and magazines than to read them simply because most of us have always been living in the fast lanes; there are lots of things to do, plans to carry out and responsibilities to fulfill– and it’s tough to set a time for reading.

Still, as they always say, there’s always a way if there’s a will.

However, in today’s world, there seems to be no end to the printing and producing of these books, newspapers, and magazines, and finding time to read them can sometimes be quite frustrating.

Well, it’s OK if we cannot find the time to read these books and other reading material, but we must not forget to exert all efforts and find the time to read the most important book in this life—the Bible.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim . 3: 16-17.

So, in short, the Bible’s author is our Heavenly Father, Jehovah God. Through His written Word, the Bible, He communicates with us, telling us what to do and not to do, and it will be foolish and fatal for us to ignore His Word.

For our good, let’s take note and bear in mind God’s reminder for all of us “ I take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you today that I have put life and death before you, the blessings and the curse, and you must choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice, and by sticking to him, for he is your life. Deut 30: 19-20.