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A Popular Taiwan staff shares her affinity with books, and how the words have soothed her soul. 台湾大众同仁透露与书结缘的回忆，分享文字安抚心灵的点滴。 The warmth of a home is the summation of every detail in daily life. I had my own family when I was 20 years old. Though still young, I had to force myself to grow up when I had a child and worked hard to be a responsible mother. Some people may think that words carry no feeling or emotion, and easily cause misunderstandings. I beg to differ. I was not an avid reader before, but now I enjoy reading. I am frequently asked why I have fallen in love with books, reading, and libraries. I once suffered a serious setback and was so depressed that I would even cry when listening to music. I confided in my family about my situation, and they were very worried. But my friends dismissed my sharing as being nothing serious. Hence, I closed myself off to everyone for a period of time. One day, I went to a stationery store and saw some books on shelf. I picked one up and read a few pages. The words in the book lingered in my mind and soothed my mood. Since then, I turned to reading as my way of relieving stress. From the books, I have discovered the wisdom of letting go, regained my confidence and found myself again. A Reading Corner at Home I have a reading corner in my home, and update my collection of books regularly. In this private space, I reflect on myself through words. I have the habit of reading every book in my collection several times, as different mood can bring about different ways of thinking and reading experiences. My reading corner is an important base for my emotional wellbeing in my life. My reading corner is also where I accompany my children in studying all their supplementary learning materials. Through my time in my reading corner, I have also learnt the importance of staying involved in my children’s lives. I make glutinous rice balls with them every winter solstice, and our laughter when doing so will forever be imprinted in our memories. We write Spring Festival couplets together every Chinese New Year. Though they always end up with 38 - popularnews 137 By Gina Chen (Taiwan) 文:陈雅琪(台湾) The Warmth of Reading 阅读温暖生活