Today at the library where I work we had a big yard sale, bake sale and raffle of prizes donated by local businesses. It was a fund-raiser to benefit the library which finds itself in danger of losing state certification because of budget reductions in a town facing serious financial difficulties.

A yard sale, bake sale and raffle are not remarkable in and of themselves as far as homegrown-style fund-raising goes. What made it remarkable to me was that the entire effort was the vision of an elementary school child in town who loves the library and emphatically declared to her mother that they should have a yard sale for the library after an election to raise taxes was turned down by voters in July.

An article ran in the local weekly paper about her along with her photo and her parents spearheaded the efforts in support of their daughter’s wish to help the library. I came down on my coffee break during my shift today and the auditorium was buzzing with activity. I made a few purchases and was happy to buy a paperback edition of the complete poetry of Robert Frost, an American poet who I like very much. I know it probably sounds odd why someone who works in a library would buy a book but sometimes I do buy a few of the books that I read. Especially at bargain prices…

I won one of the raffle prizes for a gift certificate at the local wholesale odd lot store in the plaza next door and immediately went hunting for possible birthday prasad ideas to offer next week in anticipation of meditation activities close to home and in New York with Sri Chinmoy but came up short in that department.

I haven’t heard the results yet of this event to benefit the library but the young girl who felt compelled to contribute to our community is certainly rich with a wealth that money cannot buy. The staff at the library feels that her sentiment is replete with self-giving and enthusiasm and we sincerely thank her from the bottom of our hearts.