When in doubt, head to the libary

Sunday in Magdalena started off hot and humid. Although my little burro and I hit the trail by seven in the morning, I could feel the sweat dripping on my first step. By early afternoon, the skies grew dark, and I could smell the rain before I could hear it.

There is nothing like the energizing feeling of a monsoon.

By the time I got out the bucket to catch the roof leak and rolled up all the windows on all the vehicles, the rain had stopped, but the relief from the heat remained.

I know technically, the first day of summer isn’t for a couple of weeks, but with kids out of school, the Community BBQ on Saturday, and the Socorro library summer reading program kicking off this week, as far as I’m concerned, it’s summer time in Socorro County.

Over the weekend my afternoon coffee was iced. We planted our transplants, and I think I might have a slight tan going on.

With the joys of long days, camping, swimming and all the other fun things that happen during the summer, dare I bring up the bad news about summer learning loss a.k.a. the summer slide?

It’s not the fun kind of slide, like Socorro Library’s Big Bertha.

I know first-hand how easy it is to slide into the summer months with the kids peacefully glued to the screen. I’m here to encourage you to resist the temptation for a quiet summer. It’s not just learning loss; too much screen time is a quick recipe to turn your child into a zombie. Brain rot is a terrible condition.

Now that I don’t have to panic about summer daycare, I’m approaching this summer as an opportunity for growth and reconnection with my kids. Half of my parenting experience is making my kids do things they don’t want to and hope they will thank me later for the good memories. So I’m forcing them to have fun with me this summer.

Anyway, I’m not confident about all of my parenting advice, but this is I am: when in doubt, head to the library.

I remember days when my kids were babies and times were tough. I would pack the double stroller and walk down to the library. I looked forward to the trip, but the truth was that I was in desperate need of it. In that hour of story time or roaming around in the children’s section, I had a chance to feel human.

The library was a safe haven for us.

It didn’t occur to me until recently that simultaneously, my babies were imprinting their first library experiences just like I did when I was young.

Although I will advocate for libraries as a pillar of democracy for the rest of my life, just as importantly they are the heart of a community.

As Rudolfo Anaya said, “A library is also a place where love begins.”