Just a Friendly Reminder

The past few days have been difficult.

I woke up on Monday with a sore throat that has not gone away. I have been coughing, sneezing, and feeling sick to my stomach all week long. Basically, I have been no fun to be around. When I woke up this morning, I was convinced I had strep throat. Unfortunately, for many parents, there are no days off. Although Nathan does work from home in the mornings, he cannot tend to three children while he teaches students. Fortunately, work was incredibly (and strangely) slow this morning, so I had plenty of assistance with feeding the babies, changing diapers, and entertaining Eliza.

After a few days of trying to entertain Eliza at home, I decided I would gather the energy to take her out to the library. As soon as the babies were down for their nap, we hurried out on our date. Eliza loves the library and choosing books to read, so I knew she would have a great time. We left with an armful of books and noticed the local thrift store, which is conveniently located next door the library, was opened. I love looking for old books, so we went straight to the children's literature section.

I scanned through the various book titles, and my heart skipped in excitement when I read a single word: "Frederick." I immediately pulled the book off the shelf and nearly clapped my hands when I saw it was the book I had in mind. It was a childhood favorite and in perfect condition.

Feeling victorious, I continued to scan every book title, searching for another treasure. Four books later, I found the winner of all winners. In fact, I told Cheryl only yesterday that I needed this book for Eliza: 

Chrysanthemum. 

I cannot put into words how much I adored this book as a little girl. I haven't seen the pages in about 15 years, but I remembered every single one of them. Coincidentally enough, I had actually considered buying this book on Amazon last night because I wanted it so badly. Ten dollars was much too much for our budget, though. I paid ten cents for it today.

The connection between these books I found at the little store was incredibly meaningful to me. These are two books my grandmother introduced me to. She worked for the school system in North Carolina and was a connoisseur of children's literature. She would go to literary conventions and come back with autographed books for my siblings and me. It was heaven for a little girl who loved to read.

When I went to her house, she would always have a new book waiting. However, she knew my favorites were Chrysanthemum, Frederick (the Mouse,we called it), Ferdinand the Bull, and Thomas's Snowsuit (which I did buy last night on Amazon for $2.00!). To unexpectedly find two of my favorite books (after searching at many yard sales and many used book stores) felt ridiculously amazing. I couldn't stop smiling, and I had the emotional boost I needed to get through the rest of the day.

If my grandmother were still alive, I would have called her to tell her about this seemingly petty news; it wouldn't mean that much to anyone other than her. What could be a seen as a coincidence, though, was a much needed reminder that we are surrounded by positivity daily and remain close to loved ones we have lost--even if it simply through our memories. For five minutes today, as I looked read through these books inside of the thrift store, I felt like I was 8 years old again in my grandmother's bed.

And when I read the stories to Eliza tonight, I knew my grandmother would be proud of me. I also knew she was close by. 

I can't say it was a bad day at all.