“Look what I found in the library today!” exclaimed my son as he pulled out a well read copy of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. “Can we read it tonight?”
Tonight being a euphemism for snuggled up in bed side by side with me reading to him.
We crack open the book and start. Another journey begins … one that we will take with Bruno through the pages of some dark moments of history.
And while the books and story lines may change, what hasn’t has been our routine of reading together for as long as we can both remember. As I near the end of the first chapter I start to wonder how long this will last. Now 11, and fresh off his grade 5 puberty talk, when will he look at me and say, “Actually Papa, I think I would like to read by myself now.”
I gently close the book and kiss my son goodnight.
I hope to read chapter 2 tomorrow, but then who knows …
Alex Lancia 
March 21, 2018 at 8:37 pm
Oh, I miss those days! At least you are fully aware of the gift it is to have that time with your son now. Enjoy every minute!
March 21, 2018 at 8:43 pm
So sweet….I am sure that all too soon he will want to read by himself, but savor every moment until then….and what a powerful book to read aloud!
March 21, 2018 at 9:23 pm
Thank you for capturing this. I missed my daily reading time with Pablo today but usually I savor it entirely. It was one of the things I remember about my childhood with my own father.
March 21, 2018 at 9:25 pm
Yeah enjoy it while you can! And bummer about that cement truck 🙂
March 21, 2018 at 10:02 pm
You know, I stretched it out til my son was 15 LOL. So you might still have a few years left! I loved the poignancy of your piece. You really capture that fleeting sense of time and presence with our kids.
March 22, 2018 at 5:22 am
Ack, so sweet! I loved reading to my sons at least until 7th grade, so you may have more time. I love that you know his code and savor the moments.
March 22, 2018 at 8:32 am
Maybe it will last forever! Friends of mine had 5 sons. When the youngest was still young enough to want a story every night, Dad started reading him “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.” The others requested that Dad sit in the hall and read so they could all hear it again! The oldest was easily 16 by then.
March 22, 2018 at 11:48 am
I read aloud with my grandson when he was 16. He had to read a book and had procrastinated. We joined forces and did a marathon read aloud, sharing the book back and forth. We had snacks to keep going… Not quite the same as end of the day reading, but bonding none the less.