Book Club

Trying to find common ground with my "tween" daughter, I finally gave in and started reading the Twilight series.  After all, they are not that bad and as a matter of fact the books have turned out to be quiet entertaining but the best part of it all has been the bond it has helped me build with Rebecca.  Ever since she discovered Twilight, she has turned into a "bookworm" and I am quoting her teacher by the way!  She devours book, after book, and there is no budget that can keep up with her addiction and no library that can provide her with the books she wants, when she wants them!  By pleasing her, I have reclaimed that long lost love for reading I used to have in my own teen years and it has also reminded me of how I used to raid my mom's book collection too. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree after all and although Rebecca does not look ANYTHING like me in the outside, I can see a lot of myself in her ways.  Reading together in her room has become a new thing to look forward to - a new opportunity for her to act like a child again and cuddle with mom.  I can see how it is becoming harder and harder for her to show affection to me - hey, it's not cool to get mushy - I get it, but when we are both together, reading our books, although we are in our world, we are also sharing time and space and feeling like the generation gap is no longer there.  We have conversation sessions about the characters and exchange opinions about the plot; it's beyond stimulating for me - it's an opportunity to look inside the forming character of my little girl, soon to be a young woman.  In more than one occasion, our reading sessions end being "sleep overs" and although dad is not a happy camper, it feels good to spend this kind of quality time with Rebecca...she doesn't know she needs it but she does.  

One thing I do know for sure, if I can be cool enough to read Twilight (and all the other stuff she wants me to read!), I can probably convince her to trust me with all the other "dreadful" stuff  I will have to endure as I help her make her way through "teen town."