The air was dark and cold. I was running out of breath, gasping for air. The eerie figures behind me were getting closer and closer. They were about to catch me. It seemed like it was the end for me. If I couldn’t pass through the door, it could truly be my demise. With one last bit of strength, I sprinted towards the door and turned the handle. I had succeeded, but the adventure didn’t seem to be over.
Behind this door, there were surprises waiting for me. As I lifted my head, I encountered flying objects and gliding creatures. When I looked to the side, I made eye contact with a monster poking its head out. There was no rest even here. It seemed like we would continue the marathon. My eyes wandered around. The door was hidden, waiting to be found. There it was. I had to pass through the door without getting caught by the monster. I encountered things with different appearances coming out from the sides, and I tried to dodge them as well. Covered in sweat and blood, I managed to escape from there too. Now, where was the next challenge?
The sky brightened, and after a long time, the sun smiled at me. The journey seemed like a trip to the past. The old buildings captivated my attention with their appearances and patterns. Regional clothing, different styles of speech, and diversity were noticeable. After wandering around a bit, I passed through another door I found. Of course, I couldn’t risk encountering another action since history was filled with wars. This time, I found myself in the future instead of the past. The journey from there progressed towards science: experiments, hypotheses, and reports… It was time to satisfy not only my mind but also my soul. Since I felt a sense of spiritual tranquility and enlightenment, it was time to move towards the end.
I set aside the books and tried to digest what I had read. Oh, the worlds I had roamed…
One book opened, another book closed. I traveled from murder mysteries to fantasy novels, from history to science fiction. Then, I traveled from science to religion, exploring different lands.
I loved this feeling. Running in various adventures, surrendering myself to my imagination, enriching myself with new knowledge, and continuing the journey with a bit of an adrenaline rush…
I wondered how many different places I had seen in one sitting, and how many people I had met. I had expanded my imagination a little more and colored it even further. While reading, it felt as if we were taking a palette into our hands and adding new chambers, new colors to our minds.
The benefits of reading are so numerous that they are endless: improving communication skills and empathy, expanding vocabulary, boosting imagination, enhancing focus, and serving as a workout for the mind.
And let’s not forget that it truly puts a stop to stress. It is indeed true that it strengthens memory.
I won’t even mention how it improves reading skills. It offers us a thousand lives, maybe even more, in one life. It allows us to reach places we cannot physically travel to by imagining them.
An activity that has so many benefits and plays a significant role in our development can never be given enough time.
We must mobilize ourselves to fulfill the command of our Lord. We should dive into the oceans of books that will open the book of the universe for us, broaden our horizons, strengthen our faith, and provide us with new and useful knowledge.
The only readable thing is not just books. We must also read the mountains, the stones, the trees, the flowers, and the insects. Alongside contemplation, we must read all of existence and taste the recognition and love of our Lord.
