“I don’t have to look far to find treasures. I discover them every time I visit a library.” – Michael Embry
There are many “firsts” in a child’s life. Some are more monumental than others. However, as a father, I always strive to make some firsts extra special. Given how fast the world is moving with the advances in technology, attention spans continue to get shorter while electronics continue to dominate the marketplace (I guess you can say that for both children and adults alike).
I have the good fortune of spending quality time with my daughter every single day, and I try to plan out at least one activity or theme for each of them. One weekly ritual that we really enjoy is a trip to a park close to our house, which has a full playground, carousel, maze, and science museum. As someone who works in the fitness industry and has always been very much into health, I take her to an open gymnastics class every week. Most recently, thanks to a new first, we can now add a trip to the library to our weekly agenda.
What oftentimes may fly under the radar is a visit to the good ol’ library. You know – that place that we used to HAVE to go to if we needed to research something, find a book, or even study. As my daughter turns the precious age of 2 years old, I’ve gotten the joy of experiencing many amazing firsts with her and I was really looking forward to introducing her to the library.
Getting The Card
Truth be told, before taking my daughter to the library I hadn’t stepped foot in one for quite some time. Walking in, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Given the fact that I haven’t been to one in a while, coupled with so many advances in the world, I wasn’t sure how different it would be. It felt like a new experience for me all over again, and I literally found myself saying several times throughout the visit, “Wow, this place is so cool!”
The employees and librarians couldn’t have been nicer and the library was beautiful with a wonderful children’s section. Since there is no age limit when it comes to carrying a library card, my daughter Juliet Rose helped fill out the necessary paperwork. This led to another first – signing off on her first document (I think we will need to tighten up that signature down the road).
Children’s Section
As I often do when visiting something for the first time with my daughter, I let her take the lead and see what sparks her interest first and then go from there.
The children’s section of the library virtually took up the entire first floor, filled with a play area, games, computers, and of course plenty of books. I made sure we explored a little of each. Once again, the librarians in the children section were wonderful. I took a schedule of events and now have even more future memories to look forward to on the calendar.
Everyone Is A Winner
If it wasn’t for her needing a nap and food, we could have easily stayed there for several more hours. I did go up to the second floor to check out the adults section, which was impressive as well. I kept finding myself saying, “Why aren’t I in the library more?”
In life we learn many lessons. Maybe as I sought to do something very special for my daughter, I taught myself something as well. Funny how life (and children) do that to us sometimes, isn’t it?
The day couldn’t have gone any better. Another first in the books. Another memory that we will cherish forever. Another place to add to our weekly rituals. Many more memories on the way. See you soon library, I won’t be a stranger again.
