Happy Birthday

Today is my grandmother's birthday, her 75th. It isn't the happy occassion it should be as it will be the first she will celebrate without my grandfather who passed away earlier this year. After nearly 6 decades together, they had formed their own rituals and traditions, one of which was that he was always the first to wish her a happy birthday. She has decided not to celebrate her birthday this year and we are torn between respecting her wishes and trying to cheer her up with some cake and candles. Mmm...not sure which way we'll go yet.

What does this have to do with books, you may ask? Nothing, except that my grandmother was a huge influence in my life, and loved books. Admittedly she only read in her vernacular language (which I cannot read) and loves poetry (which I'm very slow to grasp) so we never discussed books. But watching her read was what started my love affair with books. Every free minute she got, she'd grab her book and curl up on the couch. I know I do the same now, so I hope I set as good an example for my daughter as she did for me.