Day 23 | Benjamin's Choice, a Gentle Response from a Small Town!

Recently, every day I come to the library, I discovered this little cat statue that changes outfits daily. Sometimes he wears a hoodie, sometimes he sports a little sweater with hearts, and even on rainy days, someone dresses him in a raincoat.

I got closer and saw a passage carved on his stone tablet:

Benjamin had a lovely home with lovely people

but he wanted to be a special sort of cat –

a library cat.

So one day he came to the library, and stayed.

Soon he made himself the Devonport Village cat too.

Out of curiosity, I looked up some related information;

I was surprised to find that this little cat actually existed. His real name was: Benjamin. Benjamin was a cat living in the Devonport Library on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. He was born in 2000 and passed away in 2017, living for 17 years.

Although he originally had a warm home and owner, he "chose" to become a special cat — a library cat. One day, he walked into the library by himself and decided to stay. From then on, Benjamin became a part of the Devonport Library and a beloved mascot of the entire village.

He was not only adored by the local residents but also became the "unofficial landmark" of Devonport. However, due to the nature of cats, he was kept at a distance by the "dogs," and the stone tablet humorously states: "Everyone misses him — except the dogs."

After Benjamin passed away, the locals erected this statue in his memory, and residents or staff often dress him up, changing his outfits from time to time, as a continuation of love and memory.

This is not only a tribute to a cat but also a reflection of the warm community culture of the town. For many children, Benjamin is one of their beautiful memories of visiting the library during childhood.

To be honest, when I saw this story, I was quite shocked. A powerful sense of acceptance and kindness was vividly materialized at that moment!

How gentle and tolerant a love people need to have: instead of driving away a cat that walked into the library, they chose to accept it, accompany it, and ultimately treat it as part of the community—

not only allowing it to exist but also giving it respect, remembrance, and continuity.

Now he just quietly stays there, yet everyone feels warmth and meaning. After he left, people erected a monument for him and dressed the statue, unwilling to let him be forgotten.

This is a very simple yet precious community spirit: this love happens quietly, unobtrusively, and intentionally, yet it flows steadily, becoming part of the community culture and influencing every generation!

This is actually an ideal life we all long for: a place that is willing to remember you simply because you exist quietly.

And Benjamin just happened to meet such a group of people.

How wonderful!

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