Before we took off on a flight the other day, a lady with two little kids a couple of rows back starting reading aloud to them. It was some story about a princess, and the reason I know that is because she was reading loud enough for several passengers around her to hear (including me, even in my rapidly declining auditory sense). After a few minutes of that nonsense I couldn't resist looking back over my shoulder at her to register my displeasure. Couldn't she see I was trying to read to myself? How hard is it to read when somebody else is reading aloud? She did not return the eye contact however, but cheerily kept on reading. Her kids didn't seem the least bit interested.

I've spent a lot of years flying in passenger jets and I got to thinking that in all my experiences I don't remember ever overhearing somebody reading aloud to children. Eventually my annoyance gave way to approval.

My sweet grandmother Mimi used to read aloud to my brother and I in the little house on Keswick when she was the babysitter. I looked forward to those nighttime stories, probably partly due to a delay in lights out, but also because of the wonderful worlds and make believe characters she introduced us to.

My grandkids occasionally ask me to read stories to them. Sometimes I oblige and sometimes I don't. I can tell you I agree to do it far more than I was willing to read to my own kids at bedtime. But even when I agree to read to my grandchildren, it is sometimes done in a hurry. Stories should never be read in a hurry! I resolve to be a better reader to my grandkids whenever they ask and even sometimes when they don't.