Library Tuesdays

I have very warm feelings toward my little library right now.  And always.  But especially today because today I let Naomi walk there all by herself.  It's on our street, not even a block away which is a luxury I try not to take for granted.  She went with her bag holding two items to return -an audio recording of Ramona and Her Mother and Henry and the Paper Route with instructions to go to the counter, return said items and pick up the two books we had waiting for us on the hold shelf.  As she went off to face the world, I called down the library to let them know she was coming.  Tuesday is the day that both Joe and Lisa work.  If you knew them you too would make that your library day.  Joe is funny and personable and always has a story for you about his large, happily disfunctional family.  He teaches the girls small jokes and greetings like "see you soon, raccoon", and literally knows everyone's name - a lost art for sure.  And Lisa is so kind and attentive and thoughtful and plays the guitar at the morning sing-a-long.  She knows all the old rhymes that you want your children to know, like "here is a nest for the little bird / here is a hive for the bees / here's a hole for the bunny / and here is a house for me."  They are irreplaceable.  You know when you find something really wonderful and you are sad as you enjoy it because you know you won't have it always.  That's what the Collins Branch library is for me.    

Sure enough at the appropriate time, Naomi came around the corner with a smile on her face cancelling out any doubt that I had for letting her take such an outing.  She was flying high the rest of the day.  I know she'll be asking me to do it every day this week, but this privilege will be saved for Tuesdays.  Something to look forward to.