I was surrounded by drifts of books in the used bookstore. Opening the pages, I discovered inscriptions from loved ones, messages about the past and the future. I sensed these books were once treasured, like adored family pets. I couldn't imagine relinquishing my own beloved books, some of which I view as extended family. Here in the bookstore, these orphaned books called to me, longing for a welcoming home. I had a brief fantasy of adopting them all, renting a truck to transport them to my home, to join the already unruly piles of books that filled almost every room in my home. For now, though, I'll choose with care, bringing home only a couple at a time, with the promise to love and cherish them as family of my own.

I was surrounded by drifts of books in the used bookstore. Opening the pages, I discovered inscriptions from loved ones, messages about the past and the future. I sensed these books were once treasured, like adored family pets. I couldn't imagine relinquishing my own beloved books, some of which I view as extended family. Here in the bookstore, these orphaned books called to me, longing for a welcoming home. I had a brief fantasy of adopting them all, renting a truck to transport them to my home, to join the already unruly piles of books that filled almost every room in my home. For now, though, I'll choose with care, bringing home only a couple at a time, with the promise to love and cherish them as family of my own.