I’ve always had a thing for words, almost an obsession with them– how they look on a page, how they taste in your mouth, their cadence and pattern; the power they hold is infectious.

As a child, my love manifested itself through reading. For me, reading was less of pastime or childish hobby. Rather, it was something that consumed my days. I’d eat up pages of a novel like a starved man devours a meal. It was common for me to stay up well past my bedtime, reading by a flashlight underneath my covers. Sometimes, if I got in trouble, my punishment would be getting my book taken away from me.

I was always the friend who loaned out books or gave a book recommendation that played out more like a sales pitch. ‘Reader’ was my job title from ages 9-14.

One of my favorite pictures of myself to date is a photo my mom took after I fell asleep reading. It features a young, passed out Meredith with a book tent lain flat on her face.

I would read and re-read books until I almost had them memorized from cover to cover. I would sometimes venture over to my bookshelf, pick up an old novel, and simply re-read paragraphs I liked at random. The words I read gave me joy and set my imagination aflame.

But as years passed and I grew older, my life became busier and busier. There simply became less time in the day for “fun” (non-school mandated) reading.

My word addiction didn’t suffer because of this; it adapted. Where I once picked up a book, I picked up a pencil instead. Writing had become my creative outlet. Old journals filled up with words: snippets of a story, last night’s dream, failed attempts at poetry, or just observations of my day.

Stringing together words to form a perfect sentence was an intoxicating process that I would do again and again. I would always strive to find a better word, a new sentence structure, a more meaningful phrase.

I loved writing.

I love writing.

I love that my writing is being read now. The Central Trend has gifted me with the opportunity to share my thoughts with my community. That’s a bit of an insane thought.

My love for words has brought upon me so many wonderful and incredible things. It has fueled decision after decision and has been one of the factors in my life that I am most grateful for.

I love words with every ounce of my soul, and I hope that I never stop.