OK, if this doesn't warm the cockles of your heart, you don't have any!

I have served the public for 22 long years in the public library setting and have griped about the irritating patrons I've encountered, but I want to share a few of the more touching and amusing encounters from public library front lines that have occurred this week;

Feed the Belly
I was covering the circulation desk while a staff member was taking a break and a woman came up to the desk with her daughter to check out a hold that she'd just picked up from the reserve shelf and another couple of titles that she'd selected from the new book shelves while browsing. Sometimes I look at what people are reading and sometimes I'm on autopilot and just moving the product. I glanced down and saw the title, Feed the Belly. On the front cover I read;

-65 mouthwatering recipes to satisfy your cravings
-hundreds of tips for eating smart and safe
-stay fit suggestions and the best dining out options

and finally
-ideas for getting through morning sickness

At that point I looked up and we made eye contact. She looked my age or older and I am definitely past the child bearing years. The thought ran through my mind that here was a woman who was far braver than me and I said "Congratulations." She got a puzzled look on her face, reached for the book, turned it around and I watched her read through the list on the front. When she got to the last line, a look of horror and surprise passed over her face. She looked up at me and I asked her, "Do you need this?" and she almost exploded, "NO!" At that point I couldn't hold it in any longer and I had the best belly laugh I've had for a long time. Apparently she thought the picture on the front was just a middle aged woman who'd seen way too many Krispy Kremes!




Holly and the Cookies

An elderly woman walked in holding a plate of cookies in one hand and a sweet little girl by the other. She said that her granddaughter, Holly had checked out a cookbook about making cookies and baked some cookies for us. The grandmother did most of the talking for her granddaughter, saying they just wanted to show appreciation for the library staff and tell us how much fun it was to participate in the summer reading program. I told Holly it was a wonderfully kind and thoughtful thing to do, that they looked delicious, that I was really impressed that she made such wonderful looking cookies for her baking debut. Holly just beamed. I wish I'd had a camera ready for that beautiful smile. Here's a picture of Holly's cookies.






Peggy

A woman came in with her children to collect their summer reading program prizes. All of her children were old enough to be in the young adult program and I directed them to the cart that held the gift books for that age group. She pulled me aside and said that all of her children were adopted and several of them had problems with reading and the books from the young adult gift selection were far too difficult for them. She asked if they could choose books from the younger children's program. Since the books for the two different age groups come from different funds, we really aren't supposed to do that, but thinking about Peggy and the children she chose to adopt almost brought tears to my eyes, well actually it did. I told them to go ahead and then I put an arm around her shoulders, looked her in the eyes and said, "Bless your heart!"
Knowing how hard it is to raise children and then thinking about choosing to adopt 6 children, some of whom are facing extra challenges just about made me break down completely. I walked over to her later and told her I've been having a tough time, feeling as though my heart were closed and bitter, and that I'd been working on trying to keep my heart open. I realized that she'd been coming into the library passing my desk and I'd never taken the time to think about the challenges she faces every day. I had noticed the amount of patience she's always shown to her children and I just want to thank her for opening the crack in my brittle heart just a little bit wider and to say this rose is for her.