The journey of books through families
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| A few books my mother has given to me |
I have a collection of old books that my mother has given me. These are books she read as a girl and ones I also read as a girl. They may be old and mean very little to others, but to me they are treasures that I hope one day to pass on to my children and their children. That is the joy of books . . . they can be shared and given to others to enjoy. You can share a book with a friend to cheer them up, you can pass books onto people who may not be able to afford to buy books, you can share books with members of your bible study to help them grow . . . but most importantly, they can be past through the generations.
When I say books, I am referring to the paper book, those that smell and have texture, those that can be held and flicked through . . . not the electronic ebook that has very little character at all. Whilst I see the attraction of the ebook and I have a collection of them myself . . . I still cling to the paper version of books, to me they have a life and character that no ebook will ever have.
Ebooks have many positive attributes, but they can never be past on to other generations and be treasured as books can and that is the sad story of ebooks, they are here for the moment. I am sure we will reach time when very few books are printed and that will be a sad time in our history. Just imagine a couple of hundred years from now, someone find a old Kindle in the ruins of a house. It can't be opened, the books cannot be viewed - people will be curious about its content. However those books I have don't need to be plugged in and don't require any fancy technology to read - they is assessable to all, even in a few hundred years!!
Don't let the book die a sad death.
Do you have any books that you wish to pass onto your children?
We have already given my niece, who is 15 months now, a couple of dozen books. I love them, and love owning books that were owned by ancestors, both known and unknown. I remember being so excited when we discovered some late 19th cetnury books in my parents attic that my mother no longer wanted. They belonged to my great-great grandfather, a man I never knew. Now, though, I think of him every time I walk past the piano and see his books sitting there.
ReplyDeleteYou sort of feel closer to your ancestors when you find things they once owned.
DeleteI have some books that my dad passed on to me but they are for the most part "heathen" books. I think most of them are a waist of brain space for children's minds who are going to mature in the Lord. I am glad you have good books to hand down to your children. :)
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could start your own collection and gather some books to pass on to your children that are more suitable. I have bought a few old (second hand) books that I know my sons would like.
DeleteOh yes - books. They are SO wonderful. And I have a rather large collection I hope to pass down through the generations. I wish more books were hardback though - the paperback kind (so much more common now) just aren't the same; they don't last so well. :(
ReplyDeleteYep! My mother always worked hard in school because they gave books as prizes & it was the only way she could acquire them! I have a lovely collection of the Billabong books, The Dimsie Books & Milly~Molly~Mandy. THe last was very popular with all my children when they were little. They are really lovely stories of the sort no~one writes any more.
ReplyDeleteI have my original Mill-Molly-Mandy and just loved them. Sadly I don't have Rupert Bear who I loved just as much. I only last year my mum gave me her old hard covered Billabong series which I will treasure.
DeleteThat's a lovely pic of those old favourites. I too have some of Mum's books and also the prize books mentioned by Ganeida. There is nothing like holding a real book, especially our Bibles. You know how you come to remember where a passage is on the page? I missed this a lot when I was using the computer to read when my sight was bad. I hope you one day have some grand daughters who will enjoy those books, Jo.
ReplyDeleteYes I am purposely building a library to pass on...my prayer is that they will want them or my grandchildren will.
ReplyDeleteThis is certainly a wonderful thought Jo-- I have books that were passed down to me and I treasure them. You are so right- as much as I do love my kindle--- nothing can ever really replace the touch and feeling that you get from holding a beloved book.
ReplyDeleteVicki