With 6 aunts and uncles and a ton of cousins around, our family gatherings at Grampa and Gramma’s house were filled with lots of noise, laughter, cousin wrestling and other shenanigans that I have fond memories of. They had a large house that I viewed as a mansion at a time and the bottom floor was where cousins got to hang out quite a bit to watch tv and play.

In the corner of this bottom floor was my Grandma’s book collection, which included this set of “The Bobbsey Twins” chapter books. When just me and my brother were visiting (and he wouldn’t let me change the tv from anything but wrestling), I was enamored with these books and was a voracious reader. But more than the content, I loved the feel of the old bindings and the fragile pages beneath my fingers.

Once my grandparents moved out of that house, I was fortunate enough to inherit this book collection. They now are displayed prominently in my own home with other treasured stories like my scrapbooks, our wedding memory box and other meaningful artifacts.

And even though my children didn’t catch this love of reading to enjoy these books, the display in my home brings me comfort and joy. It also serves as an inspiration for what I hope to emulate in family gatherings like my grandparents did as my children get older and eventually start bringing new generations of kiddos into my home to feel the same love and joy I got growing up.