This story touched our hearts. It’s a story of the importance of sharing time together, which this year in particular has been so challenging for many families.
Penned by Sydney Swans member Janelle, she writes of building one last project – a Street Library – with her ill father Abie.
Building one last thing with my Dad.
My Dad, Abie (short for Abraham), is in heart failure and won’t be with us for much longer.
He was a vibrant and energetic person all his life and never sat down and seemed to run everywhere.
Always building something or mending things, always tinkering in the garage.
I saw the building of the Street Library as one last thing we could do together.
It took us a few months as he would tire very quickly.
My husband, Michael, Dad (Abie), and I installed the Street Library together and we took photos, so we won’t forget.
Even while we were installing the Street Library, Dad could see that everyone was happy to know it was there and stopped to talk to us.
Dad got to see how it brought the community together.
This Street Library will always remind me of my wonderful Dad and the man he will always be to me.
Please enjoy our Street Library. We named it “The Stables” as our property and many others on our street were horse stables before townhouses.
My parents bought the property when it was stables, as Dad was always part of the horse racing community.
We painted it Red and White, mainly because we already had the red paint.
We have put Sydney Swans stickers on it as we are fans, and the colours were “just right”.
The Stables Library is located at 186 Croydon Avenue, Croydon, on the way to the Cooks River walking path.
If your family would like to embark on a similar project, the team at Street Library is offering a discount to Sydney Swans fans. Use code Swannies through until February 28, 2021 to receive $30 off a Street Library kit.
