Now that I’m a new mom to a darling 4 month old, I’ll be honest, reading hasn’t been high on my list. I kept saying to myself: Thomas won’t understand anything you read - so what’s the point? And then I realized, it creates a healthy habit. He may not understand the words, but he hears my voice, sees the pictures, and reaches to touch and feel the pages. Thankfully, they’re thick and waterproof. He’s drooling like a St. Bernard!

But soon he will be able to understand the words and appreciate this special time we’ve carved out of the day. It’s even more important when I look back at my childhood and realize I never got this experience. We immigrated to the United States from Vietnam when I was just an infant. For my mother, America was a new country, a new culture and a new language. She was still learning to read in English herself, let alone teach me. I’ll never forget the time I was in third grade and our class sat in a circle reading from a book. When it was my turn to read aloud, I struggled with every other word. It was frustrating and embarrassing. Ironically, I would one day grow up to become a journalist, where reading is such a big part of my life and career.

So now when I sit down with my son and watch his chubby little hands touch the pages, I’m reminded of how important these moments are for us. I know one day, far too soon, all the drool will have dried up and he will eventually outgrow these magical adventures we take between the pages of a book.