Let's hold hands for PEACE

Desperately missing my Flannel Friday Family

Something has happened in my library land.  We have a new director, with new energy and new ideas.  "This is a good thing" as Martha Stewart would say!  My own creative energy is being tapped and you know I love that.  I welcome growth and development. It feeds my soul.

There is much to report in children's but alas, there are no new flannels for me.  Even when I think I will surround myself with felt while Thursday night TV keeps me entertained - I don't.  I'm knitting, drawing, painting - change is in my life.

For those of you who followed my posts after Sandy Hook, you know I participate in  26 acts of kindness.  It is good to have this purpose in my days again because the terrorists attacks in Paris just about did me in.  It's time to stand close and hold hands. 

This past week I set out on a mission to make PEACE visible in the library's children's area.  Little things I could do, a display...and they noticed. *joyful heart*

 

I outreached to our Family Resource Center and they inquired about books for children in Arabic.  Yes we have them!  Dual language kits in Arabic and English.  Another display.

Head, shoulders, knees .....

 *so loving*

The adult coloring pages sit on the Child/Ref desk - no doubt you've guessed.... we're coloring PEACE because...well...PEACE.  

This amazingly international library community does a fantastic job of helping each other.  We have families donating supplies for students regularly.  Pencils, pens, glue sticks and lined paper made up the recent donation.  Although I generally place these on the Child/Ref desk I decided to go a step further this week, with proper acknowledgement. 

Although my mom passed a number of years ago there are moments that a daughter always remembers.  The comfort mixed with teenage embarrassment, I felt while standing next to her in church, holding hands, singing "let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me...." guides me to this day.  The older I get, the more I realize how the embarrassment helped to mark these days in my memory,  how a mom can use embarrassment to keep you connected to family and to the importance of PEACE.  There are things a mom knows.  Thank you Mom.

Today I aspire to let peace begin with me and I know how to make simple, creative statements that hopefully bring comfort to families visiting the library. We have a bounty of new children's books in our browsing bin, more diverse than ever before.  Come visit your friends, cuddle up with good books, color your day with PEACE and help your community when you can.  Each little step brings us closer to peace.  Oh, and hold hands with your family, friends and little ones...that's the best, it helps you grow and feeds your soul.  

Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.  Check out our Flannel Friday Friends - Kathryn is the host. 

And if you're looking for an audio book  - here's one to try.  I learned so much.  Written and read by Muslim American Sumbul Ali Karamali.