Sunday afternoon was sad for Daniel and I. Most Tuesday afternoons we head on over to our neighborhood Borders. We know the employees and we feel at home there finding our way through every aisle. We love our Borders and we love books. As all of you know Borders is closing down two hundred stores in an attempt to restructure their company. Daniel has a favorite sales clerk that always feels challenged by Daniel's questions, and always has a fun time trying to help him. We have gone to Borders to meet Mo Willems when he came out with the Knuffle Bunny squeal. Years ago we also went to meet Laura Numeroff and she signed Daniel's books among them, If you give a Pig a pancake. We have nostalgic memories. Today we walked into Borders and it was a war zone. Signs displaying the discounts available and shoppers looking for bargains. Daniel's first words were "Oh my God." He looked shocked. He expressed empathy for those losing their job. What really hit home was when he turned to me and , "this is so sad, I've been coming here since I'm this small." and he pointed down to his knees . He looked devastated . Our haven was no longer. A sad lesson in how the world changes around us. How people's lives are affected by those changes. We love reading and we love our books, and we will miss our neighborhood hangout and the people that welcomed us every time we walked through those doors." We change, whether we like it or not."- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sun Kissed Days
Monday, March 7, 2011
Changes
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This is sad Ayala. Changes are inevitable but when it involves books (gasp!) very hard! I'm with you....could hang out in bookstores all day.
ReplyDeleteWhen our children were small we moved quite a bit. We spent 4 years in Switzerland & moved back here 10 years ago. We are taking our teenagers back to where we lived this summer and I'm praying that there are enough familiar things left so that this mommy can experience the joy of walking down memory lane with my children. I loe how your Daniel showed how small he had been by pointing to his knees. How sweet.
Kristi, I hope that you get to experience the joy of memory lane. It's such a nice feeling to have that cozy feeling of home when you go back to familiar places filled with your memories.
ReplyDeleteso sad...i love books too and since i was that tall as well...love taking my boys to the books store now....all we have is a B&n right now...glad he feels for the people as well...sorry
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brian. I am always moved by his empathy for others. Daniel and I will have to settle and find a new place.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's never easy to have to witness the little heartbreaks that our little ones go through. I know how much it hurts me to watch my son be so sad about something that he can do nothing about. But Daniel is lucky to have a strong momma who teaches him that some changes are inevitable, some changes are unwanted, and some changes don't come soon enough.
ReplyDeleteA touching post, Ayala.
Yes, change is so hard. Even good change can be stressful. I, like your other readers, feel buoyed by Daniel's ability to think of others.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Belinda. How true that it's hard to witness their heartbreak. I was also proud of him for thinking of the employees and seeing the big picture. He is learning quickly that changes are inevitable.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise. He makes me proud!
ReplyDeletewhat a sad moment -- and yet, maybe there can be some positive growth out of this...
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, growth does come with change .... Thank you for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteMany of us feel your pain about Borders!
ReplyDeleteI know, Juliana :(
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