Bookshelf Bravery

When I was young my mother would read out loud the Cooper Kids Adventures books by Frank Peretti. I remember pacing back and forth on the hardwood floors behind the couch in our living room while my mother read suspenseful parts of the stories; periodically she would ask me if I was okay. I loved it--"Keep reading, keep reading" I would plea. She always acquiesced.

I read Tolkien's poem "The Lay of Beowulf" (which is a summary poem of the Anglo Saxon poem Beowulf) to my kiddos this week. They loved it; the last time I saw them that excited was when I let them drink some of my Baja Blast from Taco Bell. When I got to the part where Grendel (the monster) bloodily invades the Hall of Heorot my son held his breath and his eyes expanded to the size of saucers, and I'm pretty sure he didn't blink for a minute or two. I finished Tolkien's poem and he eagerly said, "Read it again!" So, of course, I did.

Today my son and I went fishing and we saw a 5' bullsnake. My son said, "I'm not afraid. I'm brave like Beowulf!"