Like Mother, Like Daughter

Today my youngest daughter celebrated her 26th birthday, which in itself amazes me since it seems like just a few years ago that she was born.

My husband and I arrived at her house before she did. We had carried in the birthday brownies (a tradition in our house), the gift, and the salads to add to the dinner menu (our son-in-law was grilling tonight).

Soon we were joined by our older daughter. She was carrying her book with her, and after greeting us, she settled into a chair to read. Of course I chastised her a bit, since I think reading while others that one doesn't see that often, especially one's parents, are in the same room is just rude. But she reminded me that I taught her always to carry a book with her---just in case. She didn't expect us to be at Hilary's house as early as we were, and she knew Hilary wouldn't be home yet, so she had planned to get in some reading time.

I don't remember ever 'teaching' her to carry a book with her, but I guess since I always grabbed a book before we went ANYWHERE while she was growing up, I was teaching by example. Then too she IS the librarian at Clinton Prairie High School and books are part of her position. She is always reading something new to possibly add to the shelves for the students. She too totes books with her when she comes to our house, had a book in each room of her new house, and always mentions what she is reading in our conversations.

Maybe I shouldn't have given her a hard time after she arrived, but I would have liked some conversation with her rather than competing with the pages. For the record, she closed the book, put it with her purse, and sat and talked to me--until her nephew arrived with his mother. Not even the best book could have competed with him! As I said, like mother, like daughter.