Go Beyond

Each surviving book bears the marks of repeated use — broken spines, worn and dog-eared pages, random streaks of crayons, and pages smudged by the hands of young readers. I remember when these books were in pristine condition, personally delivered by a grandfather who loved to read and who understood how to harness childhood curiosity. Books — lots of them, bulging with stories that begged us to read at a time when television was beginning to bewitch children. Books that introduced me to wonderful characters like Androcles and the Lion, Alice in Wonderland, Gulliver, and others who lived in worlds beyond my own.

My grandfather, perhaps unintentionally, gave us another gift — one that means more to me now than when I was a child. In the flyleaf of each book he wrote love notes to his grandchildren. Instead of letting the blank real estate at the front of each book go to waste, he used his Sheaffer fountain pen to give the words in his heart a home on the page. I don’t know if he ever thought about what his words would mean to his grandchildren after his death, but they continue to bless. It’s interesting how ink on a page may fade through the years but how words never do.

My grandfather also wrote notes on the pages of other books in his personal library. He wrote notes about notable moments in our family history, about current events, and about other daily stuff. These brief handwritten snapshots captured moments in time and mean as much to me now as all of the old photographs in family albums. His words are weighted with encouragement, pregnant with hope, and still fertile with inspiration.

Years ago I started to do the same thing — to write love notes and to capture moments about our family history on the blank pages of the books I own. I don’t know that these little ramblings mean much to my family now, but perhaps they’ll be a blessing to read after I die. I have about 1,500 books in my personal library, so I still have lots of writing to do. I hope that you’ll look at the flyleaf of each book you own as a canvas on which to sketch something that will encourage and inspire your loved ones, both now and after you die. Never underestimate the lasting power of a written word. Leave a legacy of love notes.