Who writes this stuff?

My photo
I try to keep my priorities in order: Jesus, my Andy, our children, everything else. I homeschool our boys, love to read almost all written words and have been challenged by the military life for 18 years. Right now my faulty human body is demanding a lot of attention. One day at a time, learning as much as possible every day and remembering to look for JOY when other things threaten to overwhelm.

My Blog Title Verse

"For the Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6 NKJV
The Message translation puts it this way "God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding."


Monday, October 05, 2009

My first true love

I was reunited this week with my first true love.

We have shared a true and deep romance for many many years, my first true love and I.
Through my growing up years, and those awkward teen moments when I didn't know what to do with my emotions, my first true love taught me so much.
In college, when others broke my heart, I could always count on my first love to comfort me. Support me. Hide me at moments. Make me break out of my shell at others.
When my belly was huge with child and I could barely waddle, my first true love could still make me feel beautiful, and free, and graceful.
During Andy's deployments, when the bed was so empty and I felt so alone, my first true love distracted me, numbed the pain, and eventually lulled me to sleep.
This year, hitting that dreaded 30, my first true love as been faithful to keep me feeling young when I request it, while gently reminding me that I am no longer a youth.

But when Andy got home from his last deployment I dropped my first true love cold turkey.

I quit reading!

Other then the words of my Savior (who honestly is my REAL first true love...) and my "Streams in the Desert" I have had...
NO BOOKS!
No novels, no histories, no political discussions. I barely even skimmed Parent's magazine or the newspaper. In the two months he has been home I had read practically nothing.

Until this week.

This week I finished the political book Ellen had given me, "Cheaper by the Dozen", which I started weeks ago, an entire Family Fun magazine and four little romance novels. Plus I read the first four chapters of "The Hobbit" out loud to Canaan, and several chapters of a kids novel set during the revolutionary war.

I suppose it helps that I spent three hours in the waiting room on Friday, during which time there was nothing to do but read. Still, I am glad to know that my first love has returned, and is not holding a grudge.
Andy always takes priority over books, but now that we have gotten back into the swing of normal life... well, he doesn't need quite as much attention any more.

It all started because I learned to read quite fluidly by five. I don't think I have "come up for air" much since then. When I got in trouble as a child, rather then being sent to my room, or getting a spanking, I had my book taken away as a punishment. Grounded from books... torture. My Freshman and Sophmore years of highschool my goal was to read 180 book over the course of the school year. One for every school day. I read the Anne of Green Gable Series, everything Janette Oke wrote, Anne Frank's Diary. Most of the Bronte and Austen books.
As I have ages, my tastes have matured - I still love romance and history best, but mysteries, and a bit of political intrigue make me happy too. Biographies. Cookbooks. Some amazing devotional studies. Pretty much, if it has words, I like to read it...

These last two months of not reading, or really even desiring to read, have felt odd. But now my passion has returned. My world is correctly on it's axis, once again.

Oh, my love, I have missed you!

5 comments:

Tricia said...

Just this morning, I grounded one of my girls from books. It is the ultimate punishment around our house, too.

autumnesf said...

Tricia has always used grounded from books on her girls as long as I've known her. I find it a cruel and unusual punishment. LOL!

I just discovered the Foundation Series...talk about old! Its been really good!

I can so relate to this post.

Carrie said...

This is successful punishment for Katie as well, though it means she will lie awake in bed for HOURS at night before she falls asleep.
Beautifully written tribute to you first love!

Karen said...

Oh, I loved this...and can relate to it as well...I still remember my first trip to the public library in first grade...we checked out a big stack of books and by the time we got home, I had already read them all...

I am so glad that some of my children share this same love....

Michelle M. Nebel said...

Hey Bethany!
I haven't commented {anywhere!} in ages, but I had some time to catch up with blog friends today and you were my first stop. I had to giggle at this post -- we share the same first love. I'm currently reading "Dreaming In Hindi," which is an interesting mix of travel, linguistics, and memoir. :0) Just in case your to-read list needs an addition, you know!