_I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
“Blackbirds” stowed in the hold beneath.
I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.
I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.
I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings –
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be –
I had a Mother who read to me.
(The Reading Mother, by Strickland Gillilan)_

Reading to children and encouraging caregivers to read to their children is a big part of our ministry. Many of the families we serve do not fully understand how crucial reading books to their children is for their development. Also, many of the caregivers we interact with regularly are simply overwhelmed with trying to make ends meet and provide for the physical needs of the family. This is one of the ways that our ministry meets a vital need in the community.

We are beginning to see amazing growth in the children we work with every day at our learning center and in the local schools because we read to them. When you devote time to read a book to a child, especially a book that you have probably read many times before, you are communicating to that child in that moment that nothing else in life is more important than they are. It is a simple yet profound way to demonstrate what God’s love, a love that declares that the one is just as valuable and special as the 99, looks like in practice.

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