Where a Six Year Old Helps Erase a Month of Insanity

It's been a hell of a start to the school year what with shelves and books to be moved into place and both my libraries suffering a number of indignities. I haven't gotten through a full cycle of classes for library circulation even at the school where shelves and books have been in place all along but today I saw one of my first-grade classes for the second time.

This particular class has a teacher who is very careful to instill a sense of the library being a very special place.  I always appreciate those teachers.  I have been orienting the classes to the library and I pay extra attention to the first grade and kindergarten because they are so new to it.

My wee library patrons were behaving so well and demonstrated that they remembered what I spoke about last time with regard to good library behavior.  I was praising their good choices.  As they lined up to check out, one little boy stepped up.  It was picture day so he was wearing a special (clip-on) tie and looked utterly adorable even though his tie was a bit askew.  Here then is our conversation.


Me: (as I finish checking out his book) You look very handsome with your tie today.  Part of it is poking up.  May I help straighten it for you?

Him: (tilting his chin up) Yes, Miss Lime.

Me: (gently tucking the edge of his tie under the collar and smoothing it all out) There you go, all fixed.

Him: (looking up with shining eyes) Miss Lime, my daddy would give you a big hug if he got to meet you.

Me: (surprised and cautiously amused) Oh really?  What makes you say that?

Him: (with enthusiasm) Oh, I tell him about library a lot and how much I like it and how much I like you because every time you see me you smile at me.  He says that means you like your job.  (with a big smile of his own) You like your job, don't you, Miss Lime?

Me: (trying to regain the powers of speech because a six year old has melted my heart completely) Yes, sweetie.  I like my job very much.  Helping boys and girls like you find wonderful books is the part of my job I like the best.


Off he skipped with his book for the week--and I had a bit more spring in my step as well.