I love reading. During those precious hours when I'm alone with a good book, I lose myself into the story and escape reality. It's a wonderful feeling to step into a make-believe world, and it's sad when it ends, but
some of these stories stay with you for the rest of your life.
Reading isn't just a passion I enjoy by myself, it's also a passion I share with my children and granddaughter. I read to my children when they were little, and now I read to my five-year old granddaughter. I make funny voices and it's delightful to see the expressions on her face as the story progresses. She's even started reading to me, and I can see she's enjoying the story at a new level.
We've all heard that reading was good, but what are the real benefits of reading? Well, as it turns out, they are plenty.
- Stimulate brain: reading is a good workout for your brain, it jogs your memory and helps make you smarter.
- Expand vocabulary: books teach new words, broadening your spoken and written vocabulary.
- Increase empathy: reading fiction helps readers understand what other’s are thinking by reading people’s emotions.
- Improve concentration: when you're reading, you're concentrating on one thing, so you're training your body to avoid distraction.
- Reduce stress: when you lose yourself in a story, you distance yourself from the stress of everyday life.
- Help sleep: when your mind is racing and busy worrying about a variety of things, reading for ten minutes can help push whatever is keeping you awake out of your mind.
And my favorite reason:
- It entertains! You're never alone when you're with a book.
So, what should you read? Anything you can get your hands on. There's no accounting for taste. What someone loves to read is as personal as what someone loves to eat.
But BEWARE: reading is contagious. Make sure you transmit the passion to your kids.
Happy Reading & Stay safe. Many hugs!
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