The Best Book You Will Never Read

The book was captivating. The stories seemed endless, so many in one book it was hard to fathom. I couldn't read the words but I could listen to them. Tales of a time before I was born even thought of really. Accounts of a depression when money was scarce but friends and family were plentiful.

I could picture in my mind, the young boy riding his horse to the cobbler's house with a sack of grain balanced across the saddle in front of him to pay the cobbler for mending his worn shoes and the tune he was whistling whispered in my ears as I heard the story being told to me. Tears welled in my eyes when I heard the story of the young boy of only 9 years being left by the side of the river when his mother decided to abandon him, taking his younger brother with her and left for the U.S. never to be heard from again. The chronicle of a young girl and her brother going to neighbor's houses to sing songs for them, anxious to receive the payment of a penny to spend on candy at the village store reminded me of another young girl I know that liked to sing and it made my heart happy. I often recount the story of the baby born so small that his head fit inside a teacup. He was born at home in the farmhouse and had to be kept inside the warming compartment of the wood fired kitchen stove in place of an incubator. What a fighter he was though, a real survivor able to overcome the odds stacked against him.

How I wish I could have this book read to me today. All of the stories will one day be lost and no one will be the wiser. I can't have the book though, because you see it was only kept in one place. It was written on the heart of my grandparents, now long passed. My parents know some of the stories and still tell them to me on occasion but in time those stories too will be heard no more. There were so many lessons to be learned, messages of love and hope, words not only of wisdom but experience and inspiration.

Every family has a book like mine and you may still have time to find yours. The most unfortunate thing about this book is that unless you ask, you will never hear the stories repeated. The narrator's will believe the volumes to be insignificant to anyone these days. For you to think so would be a mistake. For you must understand that who you are today is a direct result of all of those stories. The traits that you thought came from your parents didn't just start with them. The way you laugh, your talents, how you handle difficult situations, your strength and determination; they are all in the book. Your history and your roots can help you develop your present and your future.

If you are lucky enough to still have grandparents, cherish them. Call them, visit, or write to them. Do whatever it is that you have to do to find the book then listen to it and enjoy the experience.