Reading has always been a HUGE passion of mine. And from what I had heard about new motherhood, I was pretty sire that life as I knew it was over - my reading life included. I wouldn't have time to sleep, eat, or even take a shower, so how could I find the time to curl up with a book?
My fears fell into truth at first. Of course, my book grew untouched as my early days in motherhood were formed in a blur. My son and I in this mismatched dance of nursing. But I somehow still held out this hope that I would magically come home from the hospital a wise and saintly mother, filled with an endless amount of patience and confidence. Surprise! I was still me and my learning curve felt steeper than ever.
Then suddenly, I reached for one of those familiar books one day. Holding up Harry Potter in one hand during those hourly nursing and pumping sessions. Escaping into Little Women as he fell asleep on my chest, both wrapped up in a blanket, and me savoring the rising and falling of his chest as I turned the pages. Trying to connect to him, reading Disney Stories and a chapters of Winnie the Pooh. Turning to The Goldfinch to keep me company as my son dozed off. On walks, I would listen to What Should I Read Next? and other bookish podcasts to fill my sense of connection with other readers.
Since having both my kids, I have devoured book after book, reading more titles than I think my pre-baby life could imagine. Sure, i can't go out wherever at a moment's notice any more, but I can read. And bonus! - If you're a bookwormin' introvert like me, parenthood is also the perfect excuse to stay in and read.
As it turns out, when you come into motherhood, you don't have to come with a whole new identity. Reading is, in my opinion, maybe even better as a mom. Because now I also have the chance to see the literary world through the eyes of my children. Watching in delight as they giggle their way through Mustache Baby and attempt to memorize what animal comes next in Brown Bear, Brown Bear. My heart bursting as they learn to care for their books and find so much joy in reading them. And now we get to explore book stores together (well when they open again).
So I guess in a way, I feel actually reinvigorated as a reader through motherhood and excited to pass that on to my children. And I can't wait to share some more book reviews with all of you starting back up next week in the book review section of the blog!
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