Nona's Book Club
Meeting others who share the delightful world of grandparenthood fuels an unspoken language of bliss. I’m sure other grandparents join me when I say that grandchildren are simply our favorite people. Cultivating relationship with each grandchild is important. I realize, however, for those whose grandchildren live far away, easy access to simple delights is far more challenging. Distance can be hard on the grandparent heart. After school trips to the ice cream store, random sleepovers, or shopping outings are dependent on committed travel plans.
Recently, I began a fun “remote” activity with my grandson which may be an idea offering for those of you who live far from your grandkids. My 8 year old grandson, Daniel, and I started a book club.
Many years ago, when my son (Daniel’s dad) was learning how to read, author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books were hot on the shelf. My older kids couldn’t get enough of the world of wizardry. Curious about the world of Harry, my son and I snuggling together at bedtime and read aloud as spells and magic came alive. Not only that, but I felt like I was sharing my passion for reading with my child. For me, when ranking parental legacy lessons, reading together is way up there.
Call me nostalgic, but I wanted to recreate the magic of reading I experienced with my grandson. Hence, I ordered two copies of Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. One for me, and one for Daniel. Every evening around 8:00 I get a Face Time call from him. Both of us open our books where we last left off, and we take turns reading. A few lines read by Daniel, a few lines read by me. We often interrupt with personal commentaries when characters are funny or crazy or when clarification is needed. We usually get through only 3 or 4 pages a night. Our page progress doesn’t matter, though, because we are both becoming champions of Harry. Although we’re only on Chapter 4, I already love the tradition we are creating. My favorite is when Daniel startles with an “ahah” moment of clarity in how the plot is thickening or characters are coming alive. “Wait, Nona!” he’ll say as he pops up to make clear the connection of the story. I love being part of his awakening to the wonderful world of a really good book.
As an aside, just last night as Daniel and I finished our reading session, I could see his little sister, Eileen peering through the bedroom door. “Eileen,” I asked, picking up on her desire to be part of the fun. “How about if you and I read together for a bit.” Her big smile let me know she was all in. Next thing you know, she was sitting on her bed as we read the children’s book, Are You My Mother, by P.D. Eastman. Pretty soon, I envision having to make a spread sheet for reading times with Nona.
Reading with your grandchild can happen regardless of distance. Scheduling a time to be together with books has become my new grandparent delight. Reading with a child is such a simple undertaking, but the benefits are rich and everlasting. As my son and I will never forget our discovery of the world of Harry Potter, I hope my grandson will now always equate getting to know Harry with Nona time. The best news is all I have to do is answer the phone and have my bookmark in place.