Inspiration from our kids...

I am going to borrow a line from a feature on Raising Kids in today's Statesman: "Sometimes your kids can inspire you in ways you really never expected..."

It was written by a mom who completed a 5K with her 8 year old daughter. She began by saying how her child had goaded her into signing up, yet she figured her passion would wane. It didn't, and the day of the race, when mom felt like giving up due to a bout with broncitis, it was the sight of her daughter, smile on her face and wind whipping her blond braids back, that gave her the ability to finish.

Think about that. I did.

And that's what reading does. It offers us glimpses into other people's lives, connects us through the human experience, and gives us so much. Things to think about, validation in emotions, new learnings...

That's what we need to tell our kids. I did.

Thanks to what I read, I talked with my kids about how it made me think about the first time I saw raw grit on Matt's face -- without my pushing. I told Ben how he amazed me with the things he knew about Space, and how he dedicated himself to discovering more about his passion. And Sam, when he hits the baseball and gets to base...the joy of success.

I also told them how they inspire me through rough times too...Matt in Math in third grade (perseverence)...Ben with his new eye patch for his lazy eye (courage), and Sam's continued work in speech (dedication).

I told them how they inspire me.

So remember, talk to your kids about how what you read affects you...what it makes you think about and feel. They will begin to see that reading isn't merely words on the page...you have breathed life into them, and they are a part of real life today.

Happy Saturday!