The Book Pusher

Barbara Hales was affectionately known as "The Book Lady", but she preferred to call herself "The Book Pusher". More appropriately, Barbara Hales was the leading advocate for literacy in the valley. She and her husband Lee have sold 500,000 books (at cost) since her retirement from USU. They traveled all over the west buying up books for children. Family members would read the books and report back to her on their content and quality. Barbara would put a sticker on each book to identify its age appropriateness.

Last Sunday Kathie told Barbara about Logan, our nine year old grandson who has a mild form of autism. Logan loves anything related to China, so Kathie asked Barbara if she would keep a look-out for a book related to China.

The very next morning Barbara and Lee were in the parking lot of ShopCo at 9:30 AM. Barbara was walking into the store when she was struck by a truck. She died later that day. A whole community was stunned. TV stations ran the story. The State of Utah had lost a treasure.

Wednesday morning Kathie received a call from Lee Hales. Lee was surrounded by his mourning family, yet remarkably he called to tell Kathie that Barbara had found two books for her...and that their very next stop that fateful morning was to be to Borders, where Barbara had apparently located two more books. Kathie was speechless. She called me to ask if I would stop at the Hales residence to pick up the books. That was a difficult, emotional assignment. The grief was palpable in that home...yet Lee had felt compelled to follow through with Barbara's mission for Kathie.

So what do you think Shelly? I think those books must be something special. And Barbara Hales seemed to be stepping out from behind the veil to complete one last assignment...to bless just one more child...who just happened to be yours.