Can we find a recipe for overcoming emotional turmoil and cognitive difficulties in a simple children’s book? How can an old illiterate granny succeed where an educated psychologist failed? Ruben reveals how books bring people closer, to themselves and to their loved ones in our latest Memory Suitcase!
The Importance of Edifying Books
In 1722 and 1725 J. S. Bach wrote Notebooks for Anna Magdalena in order to attract his second wife to music. Indeed, all of us have some books that someone offered us in order to help us discover new experiences and talents. To be honest, if I had to choose something before leaving the Earth, I would definitely take one of these edifying books.
When I was a little and wild 5-year-old child, my parents were recently divorced and I couldn’t understand why my family was different than others. Divorce was quite unusual at that time in Spain. Moreover, I had a lot of trouble in my school and unfortunately I couldn’t read or write fluently. My family was very worried and they decided to to see a psychologist in order to solve this problem. However, the specialists couldn’t come up with a solution.
A Grandmother’s Gift
One day, my grandmother had a great idea: Because of the Civil war in Spain, she was nearly illiterate and she decided to buy some easy-
Photo: private
reading tales and to read them constantly to attract my interest. Firstly, I preferred to ignore her, but shortly after, I started to read together with her. Spending my time with my grandmother was fun, since we learned at the same speed how every letter and every word are read. I no longer felt stupid. As time went by, I enjoyed reading and I even inspired my schoolmates to do the same.
I have never forgotten this wonderful experience with my grandmother. As far as I am concerned, I think that she offered me the most valuable lesson that someone could have given me: you can do everything with humility and perseverance. Even if she is not here now, I can be with her again when I turn a page of one of her books.
