Books of Significance & Meaning

Earlier this year, my husband Kevin, our one-year old son Aiden, and I all flew to Boston. Kevin is a pedorthist – a pharmacist for the feet – and his colleagues from all across the country were gathering in Boston for their annual foot conference. (Foot fetish, anyone? Just teasing, honey!) I better call it the event by its proper name- the Pedorthic Footcare Association’s 54th Annual Symposium and Exhibition.

While Kevin worked, Aiden and I entertained ourselves one day by taking the subway train to Cambridge to tour Harvard University. (*ahem) I mean Haaahvard.

It was raining when we got off the train so we ducked into The World’s Only Curious George Store. Aiden didn’t own a single Curious George book so I looked through all of the different titles looking for just the right one. And I found it. Curious George Takes a Train

When I got home, I inscribed in the front page:

October 2013

To Aiden,
To help you remember your first train ride from Boston to Harvard University. You loved it and had no fear!

XOXO,
Mama

I’m going to wrap it up and give it to him for Christmas. Aiden won’t be able to recall memories of that train ride when he’s older, but he’ll always know the details about the who, what, when, where of it.

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When I was a child, I received books from relatives with handwritten notes inside them. One of my favorites is an Oxford American Dictionary that I received from my grandparents Mary Lou and Robert Lemon my senior year in high school. They wrote:

Christmas 1999

Dear Diana,
The world of words can open many doors.
We are very proud to say, “She is our granddaughter” when we get to introduce you!
You make our lives much happier!

We love you,
Grandparents Lemon

With computers, I’ve thrown out every dictionary and thesaurus I owned years ago. But never this one.

A book is a gift you can open again and again. – Garrison Keillor