Bedtime Stories

Every night before bed I read to my boys. They get to pick a story or two themselves, then we have our "God story". These are read sitting up, looking at pictures, all gathered together on the bottom bunk.

But after they are tucked in, and resting quietly (or not so quietly as may sometimes be the case with Zion... but he is only three after all) I read them a chapter or two of something "bigger".

We read a short mystery based on Sherlock Holmes, only with a mouse as the detective. We read "The Hobbit" by JRR Tolkien. We most recently read "The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald, which I read as a child and loved. I posted a quote from it on my Facebook page while we were in the middle of reading it, but I don't think I ever put it here. Let me share...

"We are all very anxious to be understood, and it is very hard not to be. But there is one thing much more important."

"What is that Grandmother?"

"To understand other people."

Now, isn't that beautiful? Deep? Thought provoking?

I am not sure my children are really old enough to catch the wisdom hidden in his books. Nor all of the beauty of the descriptions. But they are hearing the vocabulary, and soaking in the ideas, and ideals.

But I have to believe that someday, that will count for something. Soak it in, growing minds, soak it in.

We have now started the sequel to "The Princess and the Goblin". It is "The Princess and Curdie", and is the continuing story of the boy who helped rescue the princess... and who she in turn rescued... from the goblins.

It also is full of big words, beautiful descriptions, and these beautifully worded pieces of wisdom.

This is describing Curdie's parents,

"They were the happiest couple in that country, and that was because they always understood each other, and that was because they always meant the same thing, and that was because they always loved what was fair and true and right better , not than anything else, but than everything else put together."

Once again - Isn't that beautiful? Deep? Thought provoking? Don't you want a marriage like that?

I am really enjoying George MacDonald with my children right now.

Of course, I have several books going just for myself also... but that is for another blog.

What are you reading? I would love to hear about it!