Tribute to Becky Walpole

This piece was written to honor Becky Walpole, the (now) former branch manager of the Park Rapids Library. Good luck in your new adventures, Becky and we'll so miss you!

Once upon a time, in a land called Minnesota, in the town of Park Rapids, at the house of books and magic (otherwise known as the library), there came a young book princess. She was smart, beautiful, kind, sincere, and generous. She was not the airy, fairy sort of princess. She was the sturdy, hard-working, dependable sort. Her name was a grand, majestic, time-honored name: Rebecca, but she never answered to that name, only to "Becky". Becky came to the library as a volunteer, the rare sort of creature who will work for the pleasure of the work. No doubt Becky was paid in generous amounts of magic: time spent with children and books. Becky was the sort of princess that drew in children like butterflies to a flower. She listened to their stories, asked the right questions, and gave hugs freely. In time, the library came to realize the power of Becky: she strengthened the magic of the library itself and kept children coming back for more magic. And so, Becky stepped across that great line of monetary compensation and began to work as an employee of the library. Becky steadily grew the attendance of the children's story hour. Together, Becky and the children shared stories, sometimes from books and sometimes from imagination. Together they created crafts, laughed, and sometimes spilled. The parents and child providers looked on with admiration and relief. They patted themselves on the backs: they had done a good deed by bringing the children to the magic of books and Becky and the library. In more time, the library came to need a new queen, someone who could rule with a steady, gentle hand and yet keep the magic alive and well. With the former queen on her way to another domain, Becky graciously accepted the library's throne. Being the queen meant more hours and more pay, but a lot more work: meetings, responsibility, meetings, management of staff, meetings, management of events, meetings, and most of all, meetings. Although a bit overwhelmed at times, Becky held tight to the magic of the library and worked hard. She kept her crown atop her head, but could still kneel to meet the eyes of the children. Once Becky had comfortably settled into her reign, her prince came to her and said, "My dear, sweet princess, we have had a good life here in the town of Park Rapids, but alas, I am being called to another town, still in the land of Minnesota, but two hundred miles south of here. Won't you please come away with me?" Of course Becky would leave Park Rapids with her prince, but it was with tear-filled eyes that she surveyed the Park Rapids library. She had spent the last fifteen years here in this magic-filled place. She had come here as a novice princess, the mother of babies, and now her babies were nearly grown. She had moved from one library castle to another during her time here. The library staff, volunteers, and children wept for the leaving of Becky, but knew that Becky would move on to another place to instill her magic there while leaving a bit of her self, her magic to reside forever at the Park Rapids Library. With heavy hearts and tear-filled faces, they bid her adieu saying, "May you live happily ever after". The end.