Fifty years later this picture hangs in the same spot…

A nap was a daily act of self preservation – for me and for my kids. They went to morning kindergarten, so until they entered first grade they took a nap in the afternoon. Sometimes not willingly and often sleepless, but it was a pause in the day because it usually started with a book. A story. An excuse to sit side by side in a quiet spot to listen and talk, to share an adventure. Memorizing Mother Goose; laughing with Dr Seuss. I was lucky to be a stay at home mom, and realize many moms don’t have the time to do this – but tucking in to say goodnight with a book is a perfect way to end a busy day.

Dolly Parton reminded me to think about those days this morning, after learning that growing up, the Bible was the only book in her home. She just dedicated her Imagination Library to her father who never learned to read or write, and at 72, she celebrated at the Library of Congress for donating her charity’s 100 millionth book to the nation’s official library claiming, “Of all my life’s accomplishments, my book charity is the most precious.”

Childhood is such a fleeting thing. Aim to take the time.