When plans go awry, people often say it's because God had a better plan for us.
The Bible actually has a verse that says it: "For God has something better in mind for us."
That is certainly true when I missed "Bertrand's Back-To-School Birthday Bash" in August in favor of hanging out in an emergency department, which resulted in being admitted overnight for the second time that month.
Not only did I meet some fantastic people who shared fantastic stories, a new opportunity emerged.
You see, when I called Janet Staley, owner of The Book Market, to let her know my kids would be running the event, she had a much better surprise: she had already pre-sold one copy of all Bertrand the Mouse titles to a single customer to give to Santa.
For that was the purpose of the event: to give customers the opportunity to buy a Bertrand the Mouse book for Santa to give away to children and special needs adults during the holidays.
I had given Santa nearly one hundred Bertrand books last fall, and Santa said the books were very highly received. In short, Bertrand was a hit, and I am not surprised.
But the need for books is higher than what I can provide alone. But maybe a few others might want to contribute, too? So Jan was willing to hold a birthday party for Bertrand, where the only gifts he wanted were books for Santa.
Santa did leave that day with fifty Bertrand books. Jan even put together a box of overstock for Santa, too. And Santa brought free ice cream for attendees. So Santa is off to a good start as far as books for children go.
After I was released from the hospital, I called Jan to thank her profusely and see how the event went. And this is where the "opportunity" part came in.
Jan suggested I extend Bertrand's birthday celebration through the Santa season with a special display of Bertrand the Mouse books at her store.
However, among work conflicts, emergencies, and transportation woes, it took a month to get there. But I had a day off work yesterday, and the display finally went up.
And now it's so easy for you to help Santa, too.
Simply pop into The Book Market during regular store hours, pick out the Bertrand the Mouse title(s) you want to give to Santa, pay for it/them at the counter, and leave the book(s) with Jan. She and I will make sure Santa gets the books.
I have another fifty (or so) books at my house for Santa ready to go, too. But Santa sees thousands of children and special needs adults during the holiday season. One hundred books aren't nearly enough.
The Book Market has limited amounts of Bertrand books, which we will replenish when necessary. So if you're interested in bulk rates, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com.
One last thought: Even kids who don't read seem to really like the Bertrand books. The books are simple and very approachable. When you put one of these books into a child's hands, you may increase the love for the printed word in an already eager reader and spark an interest in a reluctant reader to take a chance on another book.
And if that happens, you will have given a child a gift that will continue to pay dividends for the rest of his/her life.
