A truncated version of this, titled “The”, appeared on VineLeavesPress.com (“50 Words Give or Take”).
As a little child, I felt what I now know to be awe and excitement when the little shapes that clustered on the pages of the simple books my parents read aloud to me, began to fall into meaning. The earliest word I recognized was “the”. It seemed to float serenely amid a sea of angular and rounded shapes. That realization was profound, and I was happy whenever and wherever I found my new word-friend. I was fortunate that the world of reading, as well as writing, opened quickly for me. When I entered first grade at age five, I already knew how to read.