Books that Become Part of Us . . .

I firmly believe part of who we turn out to be in life is a product of the people we surround ourselves with and the books we read. At no time is this more true than when we are children. The books I read as a child were grafted onto my soul with such firmness, I still remember the thrill of Black Beauty, the determination in Where the Red Fern Grows, and the joy and sorrow of Little Women as if I'd lived those fictional lives myself.

And sometimes, the books come back to us with such force, we have to pull them off the shelf and mull them over again. That happened to me yesterday when I posted Stella Price's "secret" contest. Just the word "secret" triggered a remembrance of that little verse. It's from a little book called THE CHEERFUL CHERUB by Rebecca McCann. The volume was old and tattered when it came into my hands, but I still have it and it's one of the few books I moved with me from Missouri. It's a simple book of verse with line drawings, but I adore it. As a child I pored over it and committed so much of it to memory, not a week goes by but something happens in my life that calls forth a "cherub quote." Here's an example:

Regret
Through fear of taking risks in life
I've missed a lot of fun--
The only things that I regret
Are those I haven't done!

There's no measure by which this can be called great poetry, but the verses make me smile. Here's another favorite:

Butterfly
The butterfly just floats through life
As careless as a bubble.
I walk a stern and moral path--
A soul is lots of trouble.

or

Faults
The faults of my friends
Which I freely condone
Are always the ones
Which resemble my own!

I wonder if I'd get into copyright trouble if I shared one with you on a weekly basis. They've given me so much pleasure over the years, I'd love to pass them on. I don't think the book is still in print, though I did see one online for a ridiculous sum ($168.00, but it was in mint condition. Mine alas, is about to fall apart, but even if it wasn't, I'd never sell it!) The Cherub is too much a part of me to let it go.

At any rate, it's your turn. Please share a book that meant something to you as a child.

PS. Today is the last day for your to participate in the NightOwl Romance SummerLove WebHunt. You can get started on my website, collecting the correct colors of the NightOwl graphics spread on 7 author's sites. There will be three Grand Prize Winners!