Since high school, reading for pleasure transformed from a consistent daily occurrence to a treasured scare pastime. Gone were the days of a single homework sheet where, after spending 10 minutes on it, I had the entire day to lose myself in yet another novel. Now, I have to force the 20 minutes I spend reading a chapter or two from a book, and then having to put it down until the next day.

Even during summers, I wouldn't be able to find reprieve within the pages of a novel because, during high school, AP courses would assign summer work, which would cause an extra layer of anxiety I was forced to endure.

Looking back, I never realized the importance of taking 15 or 20 minutes to just sit and read. I came to the realization of how much I missed having time to read once I graduated high school, and would just sit for hours going through books like I would never see them again.

I finally was able to enjoy reading once more.

Now, I like to consider myself an adult, but I still find myself with widening eyes inside a Barnes and Noble, wondering just what I want to get that day. Except now, I have the added trouble of access to a bank account. Also, Amazon sells books, so I don't even have to leave the house.

I never lost my love for being able to sit back with some weird obscure book and get lost in it.

I know that going forward into the future I want to cherish my collection of books. Not because I can sell them, not because they aren't really worth anything, but because they explain a part of me.

I want to look back when I'm 80 years old and just see a room full of books, full of stories, full of love. I want to read bedtime stories to my children when they are young and, as they grow up, connect with them by sharing a love of a certain author, or disdain over a character.

I want this love of the written word to continue for my whole life.

It's time to make a promise to myself going forward. I am to look at reading as a loving requirement of my life. I want to find myself for at least an hour a day enjoying the written word. I just want to find myself enjoying the collection that I have come to obtain.