Sunny Morning

I love this graphic. It helps me to remember some things. The last movie I saw in a theater was The Chronicles of Narnia. I know . . . it's been a while. The lions in the graphic remind me a little of Narnia. The movie came from a series of books that I've read more than once. The words in those books come from the mind of a man I respect immensely - C.S. Lewis. At home recently, we watched A Wrinkle in Time. That movie also came from a book my son was reading many years ago. I read the book as well, more than once. Madeline L'Engle has a wonderful imagination.

Of the movies that have come out in the last 20 years (maybe 30),I have read and re-read many of those books. Most of the time, I think the book is better. There is something about sitting down with a book and finding a character I like or identify with. I begin to see the characters in my mind, the places they live and work and their adventures.

I never watch the Oscars. I haven't seen the movies unless we have purchased the DVD. So many times over the years, I have seen a movie made from a book I read and been disappointed. Often, the script gets so far from the book that it becomes unrecognizable. I read some books, the Left Behind Series. When the movie came out on DVD, I don't think it came out to the big screen, I was truly disappointed. A relationship that was only in the;minds of the couple suddenly turned to a real affair. So sad. The books were written to Christians for the most part. Affairs didn't happen there, but Hollywood had to distort it so others would buy and watch.

Our kids today are trained to watch television and movies that they get bored reading a book. They want instant gratification. My family are all readers. My older children are readers. John became a reader a couple of months after he turned two. Okay, he's very smart and talented.I didn't learn to read until I was 3 1/2 and Heather was about 4. You get the picture. We read.

My younger daughter is struggling to read. She doesn't remember what she has read. She writes her own stories, mainly with the same theme. She loves the spell check on the computer. It was frustrating for me to home school her. I needed help. Why? I came from a family of readers and could not comprehend a child who couldn't learn. After I found out that she had learning disabilities, I was okay with it. She goes to regular school now, with a group of kids who are also learning at her level. She wants badly to learn and to comprehend. I believe that desire will overcome many of her problems.

I got off the subject. Do you read more than watch movies? Do you read a book and wait to see the movie so you can see if they got it right?

When all went wrong in my life and I began to lose my personal things, I had this thought, "they" can take it all, but "they" will never be able to take from me what came from a book. The same thing applies to today. The knowledge and imagination that comes from between the pages of a book is ours forever. Isn't that cool?