Gratitude

This was the subject of an article in Oprah magazine last November, titled “How Gratitude Shifts Your Attitude.” Letters from various people were contained within the article, where the writer addressed the person or object for which he or she was most grateful. One of the letters that caught my eye was “Dear public library,” penned by author Catherine Newman. She explains that she loves the library not only for the beautiful roses growing that she can stop & smell, but especially for enabling her reading addiction and saving her “eleventy trillion dollars in the process.” Newman also pays homage to the kind librarians who work there, explaining “your librarians keep all our secrets, like bartenders we never tip.” Apologizing for her many overdue books, she adds, “your librarians, those gracious hosts, would never be so crass as to mention what I’m costing them” by keeping overdue items. She ends with: ” you are the hero of a story, and it’s this one.” What a wonderful tribute to libraries and librarians…