Small Moments (Truly Grateful Series)
I was working at the circulation desk at the library, as usual, this week when a little boy, who was perhaps three years old, came to the desk with his mother. From where he was standing, he could not see me behind the desk because of his small stature. I could just see the top of his brown hair over the counter.
One of my coworkers was checking out books to his mother at the computer terminal on the left in the photo below. (The computer terminals are behind those white box-like things on the top of the desk.) I was at the computer terminal on the right.
The boy was fascinated by the slot in the desk for the book return, as many children are. (You can see the slot in the desk in the picture above. It is right over Charlie the Chicken's head.) The slot was pretty much at eye level for the toddler. It fascinated him because it seemed like a secret passage of sorts with some sort of mystical quality. Who would put a hole there and what was on the other side? What would you see if you peer into that hole? For the little ones, it is kind of like those little peepholes you used to see in board fences around construction sites where you could look in and see what was happening on the other side.
The book drop we have is basically a large box on wheels with a floor that is on springs so that it pushes downward with the weight of books being loaded into it. It looks something like this.
It sits under our desk top on the other side of that slot to catch the books that patrons return. We can wheel it out from under the desk when we want to empty it and check in the items that have been returned.
I saw the boy peering into the slot to see what was on the other side, so I stuck my head under the desk and just above the box of the book drop so he could see me, and I could see him through the slot. I grinned at him. His eyes got real big and he giggled with surprise. He moved his head away from the slot and then right back again to play peek-a-boo with me. He giggled again and then said, "Mommy, there's a lady in there!!"
It was just a small shared moment, but it made me smile, and it was a memorable one.
One of my coworkers was checking out books to his mother at the computer terminal on the left in the photo below. (The computer terminals are behind those white box-like things on the top of the desk.) I was at the computer terminal on the right.
The boy was fascinated by the slot in the desk for the book return, as many children are. (You can see the slot in the desk in the picture above. It is right over Charlie the Chicken's head.) The slot was pretty much at eye level for the toddler. It fascinated him because it seemed like a secret passage of sorts with some sort of mystical quality. Who would put a hole there and what was on the other side? What would you see if you peer into that hole? For the little ones, it is kind of like those little peepholes you used to see in board fences around construction sites where you could look in and see what was happening on the other side.
The book drop we have is basically a large box on wheels with a floor that is on springs so that it pushes downward with the weight of books being loaded into it. It looks something like this.
It sits under our desk top on the other side of that slot to catch the books that patrons return. We can wheel it out from under the desk when we want to empty it and check in the items that have been returned.I saw the boy peering into the slot to see what was on the other side, so I stuck my head under the desk and just above the box of the book drop so he could see me, and I could see him through the slot. I grinned at him. His eyes got real big and he giggled with surprise. He moved his head away from the slot and then right back again to play peek-a-boo with me. He giggled again and then said, "Mommy, there's a lady in there!!"
It was just a small shared moment, but it made me smile, and it was a memorable one.
* * * * *
A few weeks ago at the library, a young girl was in with her mother. Her mother was looking at videos and DVDs. The girl was, I would guess, about four years old. She was growing impatient with the time it was taking her mother to choose a movie to check out. She was getting fidgety just standing there next to her and waiting with nothing to do. I was nearby taking movies off of a cart and re-shelving them in the display cases.
Her mother was growing impatient with the child for growing impatient. (We who are parents have all been there, I'm sure.)
"Hey, I like your shoes," I said to the little girl.
She was wearing a pair of pink Crocs.
She stopped tugging on her mother's hand and looked at me and gave me the biggest smile.
"They're new!" she said, obviously delighted that someone had noticed them.
"I like them very much," I told her. "They are a pretty pink color."
"Thanks," she said shyly tucking in behind her mother's leg.
Her mother finished choosing a movie then, and they were on their way to the checkout desk. I thought nothing more of the exchange.
Then this week, the girl and her mother were back. I was working at the circulation desk when they came up to it to check something out.
I peered over the counter and down at the little girl.
"Hi," I said.
She looked up at me and then flashed me that big smile again.
"Hey! It's you!" she said.
"I think she remembers you," her mother said.
"I have bracelets," the girl said as she held up her arm for me so that I could see them. Three pink, plastic rings circled her wrist.
"Oh, those are very nice!" I said. "And they're pink!"
She just smiled back at me.
It was such a simple thing that she remembered me and that she wanted to share with me something that gives her joy, but it was another small memorable moment for me.
Her mother was growing impatient with the child for growing impatient. (We who are parents have all been there, I'm sure.)
"Hey, I like your shoes," I said to the little girl.
She was wearing a pair of pink Crocs.
She stopped tugging on her mother's hand and looked at me and gave me the biggest smile.
"They're new!" she said, obviously delighted that someone had noticed them.
"I like them very much," I told her. "They are a pretty pink color."
"Thanks," she said shyly tucking in behind her mother's leg.
Her mother finished choosing a movie then, and they were on their way to the checkout desk. I thought nothing more of the exchange.
Then this week, the girl and her mother were back. I was working at the circulation desk when they came up to it to check something out.
I peered over the counter and down at the little girl.
"Hi," I said.
She looked up at me and then flashed me that big smile again.
"Hey! It's you!" she said.
"I think she remembers you," her mother said.
"I have bracelets," the girl said as she held up her arm for me so that I could see them. Three pink, plastic rings circled her wrist.
"Oh, those are very nice!" I said. "And they're pink!"
She just smiled back at me.
It was such a simple thing that she remembered me and that she wanted to share with me something that gives her joy, but it was another small memorable moment for me.
* * * * *
Another little girl was in with her mother, and she was talking in a loud voice as little ones often do. Her mother shushed her and said, "We have to be quiet in here. See those people over there at the computers? They are working, so we have to be quiet."
"Oh!" said the little girl in a very loud, exaggerated whisper. She nodded at her mother and put a finger to her lips to show she understood.
I came out from behind the desk pushing a heavy cart full of books that needed to be shelved. The cart I had was one of our squeaky ones. Plus, I had to push it over a spot where carpeted floor is joined by tile floor. Going from the carpet to the tile is a bit of a bump, and the cart always makes a clanging noise when it is pushed over the top of it. The little girl noticed my noisy cart and came running over to me.
"Shh!" she said to me in a rather loud voice. "We have to be quiet in here. See those people over there at the computers? They are working, so we have to be quiet."
I tried not to grin, but I couldn't help myself.
"OH!!...OK," I told her.
She gave me the same finger to the lips motion she had given her mother and then ran back to her mother's side.
My coworkers and a few patrons at nearby tables all enjoyed this little scene of the librarian being shushed by a child. I enjoyed it too.
Lord, for the delight, joy, and wisdom of small children and the moments shared with them, let me be truly grateful.
"Oh!" said the little girl in a very loud, exaggerated whisper. She nodded at her mother and put a finger to her lips to show she understood.
I came out from behind the desk pushing a heavy cart full of books that needed to be shelved. The cart I had was one of our squeaky ones. Plus, I had to push it over a spot where carpeted floor is joined by tile floor. Going from the carpet to the tile is a bit of a bump, and the cart always makes a clanging noise when it is pushed over the top of it. The little girl noticed my noisy cart and came running over to me.
"Shh!" she said to me in a rather loud voice. "We have to be quiet in here. See those people over there at the computers? They are working, so we have to be quiet."
I tried not to grin, but I couldn't help myself.
"OH!!...OK," I told her.
She gave me the same finger to the lips motion she had given her mother and then ran back to her mother's side.
My coworkers and a few patrons at nearby tables all enjoyed this little scene of the librarian being shushed by a child. I enjoyed it too.
* * * * *
Lord, for the delight, joy, and wisdom of small children and the moments shared with them, let me be truly grateful.
