November is a wonderful month. The month is still showing off its fall colors, inviting us to consider the beauty
in change. In many Christian traditions it’s the month which holds All Souls Day which reminds us to honor the wisdom and guidance of those who have gone before us, those people who left an imprint on our heart. It’s a month where we are invited to pause – catch our breath, tune out all the noise – and decide to be grateful for life’s many gifts and blessings.
Spiritual writer Henri J.M. Nouwen writes, “every time we decide to be grateful it will be easier to see things to be grateful for. Gratitude begets gratitude, just as love begets love.”
Adopting a spirit of gratitude can serve as a strong reminder that none of us gets through life without the help of others. And we are stronger because of it.
This reminds me of the Aesop fable, Bundle of Sticks. A father had a family of sons who were always quarreling. Nothing he could say would change their behavior. One day, when the quarreling between the sons became more violent than usual, he asked one of them to bring him a bundle of sticks.
He handed the bundle of sticks to each of his sons and told them to break it. Each tried his best. But no one was able to break it. The father then untied the bundle and gave the sticks to his sons to break one by one. They did so very easily.
“My Sons,” said the father, “do you not see how certain it is that if you agree with each other and help each other, it will be impossible for your enemies to injure you? But if you are divided among yourselves, you will be no stronger than a single stick in that bundle.”
You, our patrons, former and current board members, friends of the library, volunteers, current and former staff members, all make up the bundle that continues to make the Andover Public Library a strong, vibrant, gem. We couldn’t do it without you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Logan, Director