Library Brody

I have been reading to children for many years. I was first hired as a children's librarian in 1998, and I have had an ongoing obsession for picture books, easy readers, and chapter books for twenty-five years. Several years ago, I wrote a manuscript entitled It Takes Two, which begins as follows:  It takes two, me and you; one to read, and one to listen ~ it takes two.  Occasionally, I find that second person who loves listening just as much as I love reading.  This past year, I met a four-year-old boy named Brody who listens with wide-eyed (or wide-eared) wonder!  He has the cutest flat-top haircut and wire-rimmed glasses, but his most endearing characteristic is his auditory perception.

Brody listens.  He seeks out rhyming words.  He predicts outcomes.  He recognizes sequences.  He understands conflict and the need for resolution.  He reacts to the emotions of the characters, and he changes his facial expressions like text message emoticons. I remember one afternoon when his grandmother was reading The Three Little Pigs to him at the children's table.  She read that the first little pig built his house out of straw, to which Brody grabbed his forehead, leaned back in his chair, heaved a deep sigh, and responded with exasperation, "Now he oughta know that's never gonna work."  I laughed out loud!  How many times have I read that book to children? Brody is the first four-year-old boy to ever call out the little pig for his choice of building materials with that kind of response! I knew I had to write a story about my library buddy who starts big school next year. I won't be reading to him on Tuesday mornings, but I hope he stops by the library on Tuesday afternoons and reads to me.  I'm a great listener, too.

LIBRARY BRODY

Brody loves Tuesdays for two reasons.

Every Tuesday morning, the library lady reads to his Gingerbread Kindergarten Class and every Tuesday afternoon, his grandmother takes him to the Morton Public Library.

Brody loves listening to the library lady read books.

She tells his grandmother that Brody is the best listener, and Brody likes the way her voice changes when she says best.

Brody thinks listening to anyone read a library book is easy.

He knows how to hear a book just like it should be read.

"No, Grandma!" he interrupts. "Don't you know that you have to use a squeaky voice when the mouse is talking, and you have to use a roaring voice when you read the bear's part...like this ~ I have to hide from the bear or I'M GOING TO FIND THAT MOUSE!"

The library lady has lots of nicknames for Brody.  

When he walks into the library on Tuesday afternoon,

she announces, "Here comes my favorite book buddy!"

When she reads to his class on Tuesday morning,

she calls him the best listener.

But his favorite nickname of all is the one she uses when she introduces him to someone new in the library.  

"I'd like for you to meet Library Brody!"

He always laughs when she calls him that name.

Library Brody knows all the best spots in the library. 

He knows where to find pigeon books, and wrestling books, and new books ~ which the library lady keeps in a special place on top of the picture book shelves.  

On Tuesday afternoons when they stay awhile, he leads his grandmother to the reading table. Then he steps up to the check-out counter and asks for robot books.  

He knows that the library lady can find books about anything!  

He and his grandmother sit together at the children's table.  She reads, and Library Brody listens. "Grandma," he interrupts, "you have to read it with a robot voice, like this -- AF-FIR-MA-TIVE. Robots don't sound like grandmas!"

On Tuesday afternoons when they have errands to run, Library Brody turns the corner of the children's area and walks with eagerness to the book display. He knows the quickest way to check out the best books of the day, especially if his grandmother is in a hurry.  "Are these the books you read this morning?" he asks. Library Brody fills his arms with as many as he can carry before his grandmother edits his large stack with her usual response, "Let's leave a few for the other children to take home."

Most important of all, Library Brody knows the secret library code. The library lady told his kindergarten class about the code, and he remembers. Number one ~ It's fun. Number two ~ It's free. Number three...

"It's for me!"  Library Brody shouts to his class, and the library lady laughs.  

Then one of the kindergarten boys says, "Brody, you can't read yet!"

The library lady looks at Library Brody and smiles, "The library isn't just for readers; it's for listeners, too. And when it comes to listeners, Library Brody is the best one ever!"

Dianne ; )

(Just in case you are wondering how to read best in the above story, stretch out your neck, close your eyes, use a high pitch voice, and hold the word for about three seconds!)

No Replacement For TODAY

March 19, 2014 ~ the date of my last post...

This morning, I was granted a two-hour window to write.  Surprisingly, I have not written one single, solitary word in two months ~ 65 days, to be exact.  Sixty-five days without writing ~ a self-imposed fast of my daily bread. I truly believe that writers write because writing is intrinsic to their genetic make-up. I am convinced that writers are born to write, and that writing is not only a livelihood, but a nourishment to the soul. Like an emergency blood transfusion, I have received necessary life support from a sharpened pencil and a blank sheet of paper. Certainly a person can improve their writing skills, but practice does not always produce a writer.  An overall command of the English language might suggest proficiency; however, mastery does not always qualify someone as a writer.  I may never be a success, but I will always be a writer.

During the past 65 days, the immediate members of my family have experienced a wedding, a honeymoon, a rehearsal dinner, a bachelorette party, an anniversary, Easter, two birthdays, Mother's Day, and more expense than anyone could imagine. Throughout this entire time, I kept thinking, Oh, I need to write this down or more truthfully, Oh! I need to WRITE!  It never happened.  As the events and engagements piled up, so did the obligations of time and money. At some point, my life became one gigantic IOU ~ to everyone and everything.  And yet, the more full the cups, the more empty the pitcher.

Blame it all on that flighty little thing called TODAY ~ that wayward 24-hour period that comes and goes without remorse. TODAY is that impulsive and capricious phenomenon that gives and takes without regard. TODAY is a temperamental commodity that is up and down, with its own built-in mercurial gauge that records gains and losses at every orbital turn.  TODAY is whimsical, quirky, volatile, unpredictable, unstable, and contrary.  TODAY is the total success and complete failure that appears with each sunrise and disappears with each sunset.

On April 26, 2014, my daughter married her one true love ~ Amas Veritas. For ten months, we devoted heart, soul, and pocketbook to the wedding day.  Despite every attempt on our part to create this epic day, only one transient foe threatened our best-laid plans. No trivial misunderstandings, no unexpected expenses, no last-minute developments ~ nothing deterred our long-awaited anticipation...with one exception. That ephemeral adversary called TODAY.  

Wedding day began at 4:00 a.m. for the bride and her siblings.  For me, wedding day began two hours later. When I arrived at the wedding venue, the skies were blue, the morning was cool, and a slight breeze was blowing.  I stood completely still in the midst of that beautiful setting, and I inhaled and exhaled a deep, sustained breath.  I whispered quietly, "TODAY, please be my friend. Please stay by my side, TODAY.  I know you are brief, short-lived, fast and furious, but slow down for a few minutes.  TODAY, let me hold your hours in my hands and experience each precious moment that you afford."

For a split-second, I thought TODAY had indulged my request. Instead, TODAY answered with a tap on the shoulder.  "The photographer is here, and we need to know where to set up and serve the brunch for the bridal party."  A donut bar, bacon and eggs, bagels with cream cheese, and mimosas needed a destination, and the photographer needed direction. Despite that unyielding pace, I truly experienced fleeting moments when I captured TODAY. Time stood still when my daughter said I do.  I completely lost track of time as I watched my son do the Wobble on the dance floor. I even took a break to try out a rocking chair. TODAY granted me evanescent intervals to smile at my handsome husband, laugh with my best friends, cry with my beloved daughters, and give thanks for a highly-favored groom.  But then, as is characteristic of its elusive nature, TODAY just slipped right through my fingers again. Wedding day lasted until twelve o'clock midnight, when TODAY said, without apology, "It's done. Pack up the remains. I am starting over right now." 

David and I did the same. We packed the leftover food, the floral bouquets, and the wedding gifts into the trunk.  I was making the final walk-through of the venue to make sure everything looked just as it had before the wedding day began.  My phone rang. Katie McLaurin Wynn said, " Mom, I want to tell you and Dad that TODAY was perfect. I didn't want it to end. Thank you so much for TODAY."

Even as I write my first post in 65-days, TODAY is still my greatest teacher. "I have given you a great revelation. Take the best of TODAY, tuck it way, and keep it for tomorrow.  I AM ~ TODAY. I understand that you want to be about your own business, but I will not be back this way again. TOMORROW makes no promises to anyone, so I am all you have. I have no imitation to offer, no replacement for TODAY."

I look back on the day of the wedding, and I wish I could change a few things.  The DJ upset Katie with his song choices, and we forgot to designate the wedding party table. My mom didn't have her picture taken with her granddaughter, and I forgot to give Katie a card or letter celebrating her special day.  However, TODAY cannot be relived or revisited...even when it becomes YESTERDAY. There is no going back. We can remember and reminisce, but we cannot redo. Despite our best efforts to explain, apologize, or resolve, TODAY accepts no excuses for the mistakes we make. TODAY only provides the opportunity to learn from those mistakes.

As David and I were finally driving home from the wedding, I turned to him and said, "I never tasted one piece of cake. No Italian cream wedding cake, no chocolate groom's cake, not even a Mississippi State red velvet cupcake."  He laughed and said that the top tier of the wedding cake had been saved for Brandon and Katie to freeze. Then he replied, "You can eat some next year on their anniversary."

I reluctantly agreed, "I guess so, but it won't taste as good as it did TODAY."

Dianne ; ) 

What Color Are You?

This past Friday, I attended a workshop for summer reading with several children's librarians.  As we visited together, two of the librarians were sharing stories about having a best friend of another race. Another librarian and I were listening to their conversation, and she made this comment: When someone asks my little girl what color she is, she always answers whatever color she happens to be wearing that day.

Priceless! I asked her permission to share the comment and possibly write something about it on my blog.  She smiled and politely agreed ~ recognizing the funny childhood observation. If I ever leave one single solitary literary legacy, I hope this is it:  WRITE IT DOWN!  Take the best of today, tuck it away, and keep it for tomorrow!  In a month, that amusing childhood observation will be replaced with five more. In a year, an entire trunk is filled.  In twenty years, a priceless collection is yours to keep and pass down from one generation to another.

So...here is TODAY'S BIG STORY, and Carrie, this one's for you.

What Color Are You?

What color are you?

I am pink ~

    ballerina pink ~

with tiny yellow flowers

    in my hair.

What color are you?

I am blue ~

    faded blue ~

from too many days

    in the field.

What color are you?

I am white ~

     pin-striped white ~

with a cap and socks

     that match.

What color are you?

I am brown ~

     hand-me-down brown ~

and missing a button

     or two.

What color are you?

I am yellow ~

     bright sunny yellow ~

ready to swim 

      all day!

What color are you?

I am black ~

     bow-tie black ~

walking very slowly

     down the aisle.

What color are you?

I am orange ~
     pumpkin orange ~
sharing my treats
     with a friend.

What color are you?

I am green ~

     tractor green ~

with a row of beans

     to plant.

What color are you?

I am red ~

     ruby slipper red ~

clicking my heels,

     1-2-3.

What color are you?

I am gold ~

    glitter and gold ~

with two new holes

     in my ears.

What color are you?

I am purple ~ 

    pajama purple ~

holding a teddy bear

    by my side.

What color are you?

I am rainbow ~

    every color ~

with a paint brush

    in my hand.

What color are you?

I am not sure.

     The day is new,

and I haven't opened

     my closet yet!

Dianne ; )

     

A Shower of Blessings

Yesterday was the first wedding shower, and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!  My heart is just so full of gratitude to the wonderful women who helped groom my family's favorite groom!  Thank you so much to Ginger, Shea, Brooklyn, their friends and assistants, and the staff at the River Hills Club in Jackson, MS!  The food was fantastic, the gifts were so thoughtful, and Katie's cup was running over with gratefulness! Such an awesome day! Here is just a sample of the best of the day!

Friday was girls' day out ~ all-day shopping at Anthropologie, J Crew, and every other clothing store at our favorite malls before deciding on the perfect Lilly Pulitzer dress for Aimee!

Saturday was Shower Day ~ dressing up with the girls and posing for pictures!

Yeah, presents...

 and food...

  and friends!

 All the ladies from Katie's work...

 and the bridesmaids...

 and the wonderful hostesses!

 Last, but certainly not least, the bride and groom!

What a wonderful day! My Tomorrow Trunk is full and overflowing!

Dianne ; )

A Good Dusting

Big Sigh...more than a month has passed since my last post.  Either I can't seem to stop hustling and bustling long enough to write or my lifelong literary legacy of self-sabotage has just raised its ugly head! Whatever the case, the Tomorrow Trunk needs a good dusting, so here I am.

January 26th, 2014 marked the official three-month countdown to the wedding of the year ~ at least for this family.  We have made decisions about favors, food and flowers. We have mailed the save-the-dates and set the dates for alterations, brunches and showers. We have guarded our top secret Pinterest boards and emailed contracts back and forth as though a major corporation were in the process of a classified merger, rather than a man and a woman getting married.  Over a period of six months, the father of the bride has gone from "the cotton-pickin' wedding" to "the confounded wedding" ~ which, to be fair, is due in part to hour-long telephone conversations during Saturday morning breakfasts and Sunday afternoon naps. Although he came very close when we hired the photographer ~ which he described as a loan shark ~ he hasn't uttered a single curse word or been arrested (as of this posting on February 12th).  He even told someone who called his phone because I didn't answer mine, that I was busy and would call back later.  His exact words:  "I think she and Katie are pinning ideas for the wedding." Priceless! He doesn't even know what "pinning" is! Haha!

Despite daily deposits, the Tomorrow Trunk has gotten a little dusty during this period. Whenever I write a post, it's like company's coming ~ a time to tidy up, tuck away and take out something special. My system of saving stories is similar to the way my grandmother stored her linens. Whenever an out-of-town relative was spending the night, she would say, "Get out those embroidered pillowcases." Or if it was her time to feed the preachers, she instructed us to "pull out that lace tablecloth, iron it, and place it on the table in the dining room ~ not the kitchen table."  I don't know if anyone ever rated high enough for her collection of handmade doilies, which was such a missed opportunity to share her delicate artistry.

So...I dust of the top of the trunk and lift the lid.  Four items of interest immediately capture my attention ~ all are quotes that belong to other people.  One quote was spoken to me by my new branch manager, Mr. Matt Purvis. The second quote came from Ms. Peggy Kelly during her workshop at our system's annual Staff Development Day. The third quote came to me from Brody, a four-year-old library patron who might just be the future super hero of libraries everywhere.  The fourth and final quote came from a discussion between sweet little Sophia and her insightful older brother Levi. Both children attend library story time with baby sister, Lillian, and baby yet-to-be-determined.

Passion is not the same thing as ambition.  Matt Purvis, Branch Manager

The first quote came from a discussion that Matt and I were having about my perceived collapse of ambition.  I told him that I just wasn't concerned about climbing the ladder anymore or being the brightest star of the nine-to-five galaxy.  I convincingly pointed out that my kids are successful, my husband and I are happy, and I am ready to fade into the background.  I prevailed upon him to appreciate my argument for ambiguity and to agree with my case for aloofness...which he most certainly did not. Quite the opposite!

Passion is not the same thing as ambition, Ms. Dianne.  I don't think you have to have ambition to have passion.  The motives are not the same.  To me, ambition is more of a focus on me and what I want to achieve.  Passion is more of a focus on others and what I have to give.  At various times in our lives, both are important; however, I don't believe that you have to be ambitious to live passionately.

WOW! What a good dusting from someone who is twenty years my junior! One of my most treasured finds is a book entitled The Cinderella Complex written by Collette Dowling in 1981.  The book addresses all the issues that women face as they fully embrace the "happily ever after" idealism of a saving prince and a protected life within the walls of a castle.  This safe retreat is often an alternative accepted by women "to avoid the strain involved in undertaking an authentic existence", according to French author Simone de Beauvoir, who wrote The Second Sex.

Passion is anything but passive, even though it may be perceived that way by others. Passion is an active undertaking that is often defined by both strain and authenticity.  According to Dowling, women in all stages of life seek the flight from stress, but in doing so they also take a flight from self. They trade in their brilliance and creativity for mediocrity and complacency. Eventually, this lack of passion costs women their raison d'etre ~ reason for existence. Dowling writes, "I call this "The Cinderella Complex" ~ a network of largely repressed attitudes and fears that keep women in a kind of half-light, retreating from the full use of their minds and creativity."

The wicked step-sisters were ambitious ~ to be sure ~ but Cinderella was courageously vulnerable. Even at those times when we experience collapse or conflict, we must remember what was and is "royal" about our existence. Therein lies our truest definition of passion.

More good dusting happened during a workshop at last Friday's Staff Development Day. Ms. Peggy Kelly presented an eye-opening session entitled "Walk a Mile In My Shoes", in which she addressed library service issues involving children and adults with mental disabilities. She began her presentation with this quote:

Everyone has a difficulty; when it impacts your life, it becomes a disability.

Using a photo of her family, she stated that each of the five people had a difficulty; however, not one of them had allowed his/her difficulty to become a disability.  "We may be quick to identify someone as 'those people' or 'that person' with evident mental or physical challenges; however, we are sometimes hesitant to identify similar difficulties within our own lives. In many circumstances, our rituals and habits have a profound impact on our daily lives and result in severe disabilities because of our tendency to look the other way."

Anyone dread deep dusting as much as I do? I see a person rapidly fanning or flapping their hands when presented with a challenging situation, and I immediately acknowledge a mental disability; however, I am presented with a challenging situation, and I eat a box of cereal.  If I don't lose twenty pounds, I won't be able to fit into my mother-of-the-bride dress. If I don't stop eating so much sugar, I could become diabetic.  If I don't exercise more, I might become at-risk for heart disease.  But, hey...just a few minor difficulties, not a major disability. Right? I could dust here for days; maybe I need my own pair of white gloves.

A good dusting continues with another item in the trunk. My favorite library patron in this world is a four-year-old boy named Brody ~ my super hero of the local children's library!  When Brody visits the library, he is on a mission ~ today, wrestling books; tomorrow, Mo Willems' books (every single one in the system); next week, penguins and polar bears. Children's librarians beware! Don't even think for minute that you can brush off a request from this little library champion.  If you say the books will be here next week, he WILL remember (even if you forgot).  One day, he and his grandma were reading The Three Little Pigs at the children's table.  His grandmother read, "The first little pig decided to build his house of straw...."  Brody pops the side of his head with his palm and interrupts with this quote:

Now that little pig oughta know that's never gonna work. What was he thinking?

I just laughed out loud.  A four-year-old knows a hare-brained (or in this case, pig-brained) idea when he hears one.  If only we grown-ups could so easily recognize a crazy idea!  But, hey...he was the first pig out of the gate. Maybe the second pig upgraded the wacky idea of straw to only slightly silly with his choice of sticks. The third pig, however, learned the lessons of his family foibles and headed straight for the bricks!  I so want to be the third pig before I die!  By now, I oughta know what is never gonna work! Sometimes I just have to wonder out loud, "What was I thinking?"  I can always expect some degree of clean-up afterwards ~ that's for sure! I have been very fortunate to have missed the teeth of the wolf more than once!

And now, for the all important finale, the piece de resistance, the Liquid Gold Furniture Polish! This quote came to me via a conversation posted on Facebook.  The conversation is between two of of the most delightful children ever, and I just had to re-post it on my blog:

Sophia:  "Is it valentine's day? Is it heart day? Is it God day?"
Levi:  Sheesh, girl! You don't know much about life. You wake up everyday, and it's a day! A day! A day! A day!" 

NO WORDS. It's a day! A day! A day! A day! The Tomorrow Trunk is all about a day ~ one single, solitary day! We just take the best of today ~ this one day ~ tuck it away and keep it for tomorrow!  I never want to miss Valentine's day or heart day or God day! I don't know much about life, but I do know you wake up everyday, and it's a day! A day!

Sheesh, girl! Dust yourself off! It's a day!

A day!

Dianne ; )