Reading Aidan his bedtime stories tonight, the same stories he wants to read every night, the little deer encountering snow for the first time, the animals snuggled up for sleep, and so on, it occurs to me that the job of the parent, my job, is to read each time like it is the first time. Even though you’ve read the text a hundred times, read each time like it is your first.

In this way it’s like the faithful reading their sacred text. Reciting a mantra. Touching each bead of a rosary.

Breathing life and energy into a printed word simply through intention.

A little woo, perhaps, but it helps me enjoy bedtime more.