Reading Rainbow

I am not a "90s Kid," so I did not grow up listening to Lavar Burton on Reading Rainbow.  But, I do remember seeing a couple of the episode when they first aired (for whatever reason) and I recognized the same value in that show that I remember getting from Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street.  The tone was always welcoming.  You felt like you were valued and that learning was possible and positive.

So, as we were all traversing the earlier stages of the pandemic and looking for ways to deal with the isolation and worry that came with it, Burton was among those talented people who stepped up.  Lavar started reading to us all, kids and adults alike.  And, if you are someone who listens to podcasts, Burton has a whole host of short fiction available.

My motivation for this blog is like so many things I do - there is no ONE motivation for it.  But, of course, part of it is the fact that we are riding a new wave of the pandemic, and I am looking for things that might bring comfort.  And, one of those things is finding people who do things that have that feel of kindness that we, as humans, so often crave, but often fail to have fulfilled.

Being read to is, in my mind, an act of kindness.  And Lavar Burton's history of reading and being part of a show that let children know they were valuable and capable certainly doesn't hurt my opinion of him either.

So, here is an act that I hope is also a kindness to others.  I recommend "The Paper Menagerie" by Ken Liu.  I read this short piece of literature some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It is extremely well written and is a beautiful story.  You can take this link and have Lavar read it to you (you may have to scroll down a little to see the proper podcast).

Let yourself sit still for a short while and have someone read to you and share the gift of kindness.