"When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does."

I was watching "You've Got Mail" with a friend of mine, when Meg Ryan, playing Kathleen Kelly, spoke these words. She expressed what I have always felt deep inside. It is why I have always so enjoyed reading to my little cousins, why I always find myself wandering to the children's book section in every bookstore I go into, and why my friends and family have continued to buy me children books even now.

See, there is a heart-strings of mine that leads directly to all the books read to me in my childhood. The characters that filled the pages, the hidden lessons behind the stories, it all stuck with me then, and it sticks with me now.

Books like "Elmer the Patchwork Elephant" and "Today I feel Silly," taught me to be unapologetically me, embracing my quirks and feelings. "The Giving Tree" and "Love You Forever" showed me just how strong love can be, and that sometimes it takes time to fully return it. "The Little Engine That Could" reminded me that I could do anything I put my mind to, even if I appear to be smaller and weaker. All these books were read to me as a small child.

As I grew up, the books didn't stop. My dad continued to read to my sister and I, as a way of spending time together. He read to us "The Chronicles of Narnia," a series that became the staple of my childhood and middle school years, helping to form my faith and understanding of the world around me.

These books, and more, became a part of me as I continued to grow up. Each and every story, though some more than others, shaped the person I am today. As if each book and story was its own puzzle piece, being added to my frame, building and forming me.

I will forever have a love for children's books, for reading and being read to. And I cannot wait for the day when I will have the privilege of sitting and reading to my own little ones. And the books I read will be chosen very, very carefully, as I know full well the effect a book can have on a child's life-- it certainly does not leave them the same.