The Book Swap

Keith and Craig and I swap books.

Books are precious to me. Keith and Craig are precious to me. Swapping books is sacred.

"Dad I am reading.............you will love it, I'll give it to you when I am done."

Those words make me feel good. It means they are thinking about me. The simple thought process that evolves from the pleasure they get from reading a book to the realization that it is probably something I would enjoy is fuel for my soul.

Sometimes it's a text - "I just heard about this book, I think you might like it."

They know I love to read so they know how appreciative I am to be turned on to something new. Something different.

You are saying "For Christ sake, Joe - it's just a book, you are their father, it ain't much more than that - it happens every day."

It's not that simple for me.

I have never taken being a father for granted. Never. It is akin to a religious experience for me.

They could be running around saying "My father's an asshole and the less I see of him the more enriched my life becomes."

Instead they turn me on to music, TV shows, movies and................

Books.

If I think about my job it pollutes my life a bit, dilutes it from a perfect place. If I focus solely on my family, my life is like the most flawless diamond anyone could hold.

Right now I have 10 books in my "to be read pile", including one from Craig and one from Keith.

I will treasure those two books above all the others.