Addiction

My name is Cheryl.

And I have a problem.

I am an addict.

A big one, too.

I am 100 %, totally in love and obsessed about.......

da, da, da

BOOKS.

I simply cannot help myself.

I have no will power.

'New York Times Bestseller'

'Newbery Award Winner'

'Must Read'

and Scholastic Book orders

are like drugs to my system.

Once I discover a new tale to read,

I begin to crave those pages.

I want to get between the covers and read every, single, word.

Amazon.com Free Super Saver Shipping is like my best friend.

Low prices, free delivery and a rating system that's to die for.

Is there anything better?

I have been suffering for quite sometime now.

Friends and family can attest to my ever growing stack of hardback, paperback, children's and fiction and everything in between.

Recently when offering to loan books to a friend, the magnitude of the situation was evident even to me.

As we scoured the book shelves, stacks in the storage room, pile on my nightstand, hoards in boxes and even the stashes in my closet- I blushed at my assortment.

A mini library that all belong to me.

Forgive me a cruel chuckle- All Mine.

And I love every single one.

As I began the endless feat of organizing the storage room today, I began to open boxes that have sat since we moved into our home nearly four years ago.

I had a vague idea of what they contained.

Imagine my excitement when no less that five large boxes contained only books.

It was like Christmas morning in early November.

I dumped out each container and looked at each one,

reading the titles and recalling the stories.

When the boys walked in from school, I announced there was a surprise downstairs.

Delight filled my eyes as I saw their expressions of joy as they saw the boxes and boxes of titles they recognized.

They each began to rapidly assemble their stacks of must reads.

As I checked their backpacks tonight, Josh had seven -SEVEN- books stored inside.

I grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

I've caught Trey reading in bed with a glow stick after the lights had been turned off.

Brynn hauled her 10 pound Disney Princess book to sacrament meeting just yesterday.

Kaitlyn could sit and listen to you read story, after story, after story, after story....

Matt stacks up the books on the bookshelf in the order they are going to be read.

Josh flies though chapter books at a record pace.

Trey has the most Reading Counts points in his class (120).

And the ultimate bedtime treat is having yours truly read Harry Potter to them while they are snuggled in their beds.

I have to say, I couldn't be more pleased.

If there ever was something to collect, or hoard like I do,

Books are the perfect thing.

They open the door to imagination.

Literacy is the gift so many long to have.

Reading brings knowledge.

And knowledge is power.

So, I may have a problem,

But thankfully it is one I can be proud of

and happily share with my family.

You never know when one simple book could change your life for the better.

Open one and explore today!

(Books in Josh's backpack tonight)

* I highly recommend reading Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace....One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Amazing, thought provoking book I simply could not put down, nor want to end.