It’s summertime! School is out and, while life in a full household is never truly slow, it is refreshing to experience a change of pace. As a teacher (and student), any schoolwork I do at this point is done on my time and most chores are completed without a typical sense of urgency. Summer is a chance to catch up: on work we put off, on gatherings with family and friends we don’t see as often as we’d like to, and on outings we never seem to have time for.
One of my favourite outings is to visit Holy Family Catholic Gift and Bookstore in Langley. Located at 20787 Fraser Highway, this tiny shop is a treasure chest of wonderful finds. The first time I visited the store, I was there to purchase a sacramental gift. I made the half-hour trip from my home, enjoyed selecting my gifts, and then had to make a quick turn-around to pick my children up from school. While lining up to pay, I noticed shelves of interesting book titles and decided that one day I would come back to look at the books for fun.
Well, that day didn’t come for quite some time. Many trips were made to the store for baptism, First Communion, and confirmation gifts and cards. Sometimes I had my young children along with me and, while there is an extensive children’s section with books, games, and toys, I needed to supervise them rather than take the time to fully immerse myself in the books of interest to me. The children enjoyed choosing books to bring home and we loved reading them together. These outings were special; however, I still longed for the chance to visit the store, just for me.
One day, when all of my children were in school and I was not working, that elusive “one day” arrived. I made the effort to block off an afternoon and drove out to Holy Family. I had plenty of time to browse. I did not have sacramental gifts to purchase, my children weren’t trying to show me things and I wasn’t worried about any of them coming perilously close to the store’s fragile figurines and picture frames.
After looking through several titles, I purchased a book and went to the nearby coffee shop to sip a latte and begin to read my new find. It was the perfect afternoon: relaxing, yet stimulating; decadent, yet necessary.
Sadly, that trip was several years ago. Since then, there have been several visits to the store, always with a shopping list, always with time constraints. Therefore, when a friend and I were talking about a book we were interested in reading this summer and I found it on Holy Family’s website, I suggested that we go on a “field trip.”
My friend and I allowed ourselves to browse all sections of the store, saving the book section for last. I found some great items for my classroom for next year (and yes, I purchased a couple of gifts), but the highlight was entering the spiritual reading section and experiencing the excitement and inspiration of so many great authors and titles. My friend and I each had a free day: no time restraints and no children in tow. We took our time, looking at and talking about many books we had read or want to read.
Eventually, we found the book we were looking for and had a wonderful chat with the salesclerk about the author – Emily Stimpson Chapman – her books and her Instagram posts. We completed our outing with a visit to a coffee shop, not to read but to talk!
I do not work for Holy Family Catholic Gift and Book Store, but I feel the need to promote this little piece of heaven, tucked away on Fraser Highway. It is charming, the staff is friendly and helpful, and it is a wonderful resource for inspirational reading, sacramental and seasonal gifts, and items of beauty.
Even when one’s life is not dictated by a school calendar, the warmer weather and the longer days of summer are conducive to catching up on the things we put off, including personal growth. If you’re looking for a place to start your “catch up,” I suggest you take a drive down Fraser Highway or visit Holy Family at holyfamilycatholic.ca.