I admire those who can recall and quote favorite lines from books, renowned figures, or sacred texts. Even more, I admire those who seem to carry whole volumes within their memory, drawing wisdom forward as though it were always at hand. I, on the other hand, often find myself returning to works I’ve already read. Each revisit feels like encountering the text anew—what was once familiar suddenly takes on a fresh light, as if the words have been quietly waiting for me to see them differently. Every reading reveals something we missed before, and in that sense, books grow alongside us.
Reading is especially important because it nourishes both mind and spirit. It provides us with knowledge, perspective, and a wider sense of connection. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The good of literature is that we want to become more than ourselves; we want to see with others’ eyes, to imagine with others’ imaginations, to feel with others’ hearts, as well as our own.” In reading, we step beyond the limits of our own experience and temporarily inhabit the lives, struggles, and hopes of others.
This is what makes literature enduring: it reminds us that our perspective is not the only one, and that wisdom often lies in voices outside our own. To read well is to practice humility, empathy, and curiosity. Each book we open becomes not just a mirror of our own journey, but a window into a larger human story.
