And his name shall be......

This summer, my mind has been wonderfully distracted by thoughts of the library. Like a new found friend, I want to know more about her...want to come up with ways to spend time with her. I've research her. Learned more about her history. And I get energized by ways on how to make her shine brightly to those around her.

At some point in my thinking menagerie, I thought it would be adorably cute to have a fish in our library. Something of life, besides me, of course, that could be used as a unconventional way to induce a love of literature. I found the perfect turquoise blue beta longing to leave his home on a shelf at Walmart and quickly relocate to the land of books. The fish made the move successfully. He had everything a fish would want. A bowl. Water. Shimmering rocks below. A few morsels of food. But he didn't have a name.

With crisp uniform shirts, nicely pressed plaid shirts, freshly creased khaki pants, our students enthusiastically walked through the halls of our school, ready to start an amazing new school year. As each new class went in and out of the library that first week of school, I shared with them our exquisite library fish and how much he desired to have a name. Earlier, I had solicited the help of my daughters, nieces, and nephew to help with some name suggestions. As a school, our students would have a say in Library Fish's name. It would be:

Dewey
Sushi
Shel
Walter


I knew the winning name long before we ever voted on it as a school. When I would go through the name choices with all my classes, they would go crazy for "Sushi." I didn't want his name to be Sushi. I wanted it to be Dewey. Dewey the Library Fish. You know, in honor of the Dewey Decimal System. Early polling numbers were showing Sushi in the lead. But I couldn't give up hope that Dewey might pull through.

Today, our students voted. The people spoke. And his name shall be:

Sushi Walter Library Fish

And the founding fathers rejoiced, because democracy worked. I guess. :)

I didn't really know....but God did

When I was a little girl, I loved books...but I didn't really know I loved books. Strange, isn't it? I loved to go to the library. I loved to go to the bookstore. I didn't mind giving up my lunch recess just to help out in the school library. I read "Are you there God, it's me, Margaret?" when I was in 2nd grade. I devoured Nancy Drew mysteries. Loved to run my fingers across the glossy pages of a new picture book. But I didn't know how much I truly loved books. Books were just a part of my life. Like a fork and knife next to my dinner plate each night. They were just simply articles around me.

Fast forward many years and I took my daughters to story time at the library. I made sure we mark local author visits on the calendar so as not to miss them. I made it a part of our bedtime ritual to read to them every night in the comfy cozy covers of my bed...laughing hysterically at the pages of such delightful books as "Officer Buckle and Gloria" by Peggy Rathman and "Open Wide- Tooth school inside" by Laurie Keller. I found books for friends on Amazon and sent them as a surprise in the mail. I dreamed of what it would be like to have unlimited funds to buy people books as treasures for their minds. But I didn't really know I loved books.

I would substitute teach in the early grades of elementary school and hope there would be a pause in our day, just so I could read to them. I kept a few favorite books stashed away in my to-do bag, looking for opportunities for them to escape from the boundaries of canvas and into my page-turning hands. I would enrich the beautiful writings of authors by adding character voices to enhance their presence in the minds of kids. "Do voices, Mrs. Hesterman! Do voices!" they would exclaim. But I didn't really know I loved books.

This year, I was given the opportunity to apply for an elementary librarian position at the school my girls have attended for 9 years. The position was held by the most incredibly qualified children's librarian that I know, love, and greatly respect. When I shared with my husband the opening of the position, he lit up. He started to ask questions about the hours, etc. He began a loving, yet forceful campaign to encourage me to apply for the position. It sounded wonderful...but fear resided strongly in my heart. I prayed, procrastinated, and prayed some more.

In May, after applying and being observed in the library by administration, I was offered the position of elementary librarian and I have had beautiful literary butterflies fluttering in my tummy ever since. Three days a week, I have the privilege of leading elementary students by the hand in a journey toward a love of literature. I am truly in awe of how much I enjoy this mission God has allowed me to be a part of.

You see, I didn't really know I loved books. But God did.