This is carrots," said my mother, pointing to the word that might as well be Russian or Arabic for all I knew. "Carrots," she repeated, then told me what the word means in Chinese, my native tongue. "Carrots," I said after her. "Perfect." She pointed to another word in the thin picture book adorned with a yellow cover. The pictures showed a boy planting his own garden. "This is 'pineapples.'" I eagerly listened to each syllable as my mother pronounced each word clearly. So this was my first official day of learning how to read after attending my first day of school. No, I wasn't a chubby pre-schooler, nor was I a hyper kindergartner; in less than sixty days, I would blow out eleven candles on my birthday cake. "I'm going to wash the dishes. I'll be back in a little bit to check on how you're getting along with the book." She gently touched my hair before she left the room. - See more at: http://www.spiritual-short-stories.com/spiritual-short-story-135-Those+Unforgettable+180+Days.html#sthash.d6IuY7za.dpuf