I keep ongoing audio recordings of reasons why I love people in my life.

Here’s what I recorded today: Reason #4353 why I love my mom: I just got a text from her that says, “A good book and a bag of candy is sometimes all it takes.”

Doesn’t that quote just tell you so much about my mom?

(In all transparency, I don’t know if that was actually #4353. I just make up the numbers according to what feels right on any given day.)

But here’s what I really want to say about this. My mom always sends me books she loves after she finishes them. This is the BEST gift. First of all, I love to read and good books just show up all the time in the mail from her.

Second of all, it is fun to get real mail.

Third of all, it connects me to her because then we can talk about the books we’ve read!

Fourth of all, once I finish the books, I can donate them to our Little Free Library.

Last, but not least, she does, in fact, often send candy along in the boxes of books!

Thus, that text I mentioned came after I had written to tell her that I had just finished one of the latest books she sent. (I think I was thanking her for “A Man Called Ove” by Frederick Backman— a great novel about the power of community.)

Our text exchange made me stop and truly appreciate how much my mom’s thoughtfulness means to me. I don’t want to take it for granted. She’s been sending books to me for as long as I can remember. It is simply part of the fabric of my life.

And in fact, when I was little, my mom always encouraged me to read. This was really important to her since she grew up in a household without books.

Check out the tribute quote for her that we put on the little free library outside our house:

So listen. If you are a reader and you happen to buy your books — used or new — ask yourself whether there someone in your life to whom you can send your finished books.

Maybe you have a sister, nephew, or best friend who would love to be connected to you in the way I am to my mum?

Passing along your literary treasures is an amazing ongoing gift.

And sure, throw in a bag of chocolate kisses once in awhile, too! Sometimes that’s all it takes.

Happy reading,
Sherry

 

P.S. Check out A Man Called Ovo if you haven’t read it. You can borrow it from your local library. Or maybe you’ll find it at a Little Free Library!