Words

When I was born, I was like an empty glass, ready to be filled. And since I was a very little girl, what I wanted to be filled with was words.

I remember when I was five years old that my dad read to me from a book, a chapter book. My imagination was stoked by the words. I begged him every day to read to me more. He was a busy man, though, and he couldn't get through it as fast as I wanted him to. That's when I picked up the book and finished it myself.

After that, my glass must have sprung a leak, because no matter how much I read, I could never be filled with all the words. There were always more books with more stories. I read anything I could get my hands on, rather indiscriminately, I might add. I read through volumes of the encyclopedia. I even tried to read Gone With the Wind. (It was one of my first failures: too long.)

With all that reading, I fell in love with words. There are a vast number of words. There are short ones, long ones, simple ones, complex ones. There are words to express any thought. One book, the dictionary, can even tell you exactly what all the words mean, and how to pronounce them. (I learned to use the pronunciation key because I wanted to use new words without my parents laughing at me.)

What is it about words that hypnotizes me? Is it that the knowledge of great minds can be passed to me through their books? Is it that the authors have the ability to connect with my thoughts and feelings, and in some ways assure me that I am not alone? Is it that I can leave my somewhat boring life for a few hours and be lost in another time and another place? I think all these are true.

All kinds of animals can communicate with one another, with sounds and behaviors. Still, humans are specially gifted with words, and with the ability to record those words forever, as long as the writing is preserved. This, to me, is a wonderful gift from God.

Words have made me richer, stronger, and wiser. I hope my glass never gets full.