Mother-Daughter Poets Bring ‘Lilacs and Roses’ to North Babylon Library

NORTH BABYLON — North Babylon resident Christie Leigh Babirad will take the stage at the North Babylon Public Library on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m., for a true homecoming. Alongside her mother, Cheryl Babirad, Christie will read from their collaborative poetry collection Lilacs and Roses — a heartfelt reflection on love, resilience, and the beauty found in everyday life.

The event will celebrate their shared love of writing and connection, complete with poetry readings, books for purchase, and a few seasonal touches — cookies, tote bags, and a bit of holiday warmth for attendees.

“We’re going to make it fun,” Christie said. “We’re going to make it very holiday-themed, have treats for everybody, and have our books there, of course. My mom went to school in North Babylon, taught in North Babylon, and I graduated from North Babylon High School. It’s where we’re from. A lot of people I grew up with end up coming to these events, and it means a lot to us.”

For Babirad, writing has always been a way to process life’s ups and downs. She began writing poetry as a teenager and published her first poem, “Birth of a Story,” in the October 2011 edition of Long Island Pulse Magazine. The poem explored finding renewal and hope during life’s turning points — a theme that runs through much of her work.

“When I’m feeling down, sometimes the best thing is to write something new,” she said.

Writing runs through the Babirad family. Christie, her mother, Cheryl, and her brother Robert Babirad are all traditionally published authors with Harbor Lane Books, a U.S. publisher.

“My mom always encouraged creativity,” Christie said. “She was a kindergarten teacher for 39 years and always encouraged us to express ourselves.”

Her mother edits each of her works, offering feedback and encouragement, while her brother — a lawyer and tutor — also writes fiction and is preparing to release his next book early next year.

“Whenever I finish anything, I have my mom read it over because she’s a great editor,” Christie said.

The mother-daughter poetry collection Lilacs and Roses alternates between each of their poems, creating a heartfelt dialogue of shared experiences and reflections.

“It was something I always wanted to do with my mom,” she said. “We each wrote our own poems, then put them together — every other poem alternating between us. It’s something that commemorates what we did together. I think a lot of families, especially mothers and daughters, will connect with it.”

Babirad said the poems explore a range of feelings — from romance and heartbreak to gratitude and finding beauty in small moments.

“It goes across love stories and poems about different relationships,” she said. “It’s about living life passionately, noticing the little things — the leaves changing, the synchronicities of life — and looking on the bright side no matter what difficulties arise.”

Babirad has published several collections, including On the Road of Love, The Navigator, Evergreen, Lilacs and Roses, and Whispers in the Currents — the first installment of her Whispers poetry series with Harbor Lane Books. The next in the trilogy, Whispers in the Velvet Blue, is slated for release this December.

When asked how she defines success as a writer, Babirad says it's about the feeling of contributing.

“I think success is when you, as the writer, are moved by your own writing,” she said. “When you feel that pull that you can’t just keep to yourself — that you need to share it with others because you believe they’ll be touched too. That’s how you know you’ve done something meaningful.”

If You Go

What: “Lilacs and Roses” Poetry Reading and Book Signing

Who: Christie Leigh Babirad and Cheryl Babirad

When: Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m.

Where: North Babylon Public Library, 815 Deer Park Ave., North Babylon

Details: Free admission; books available for purchase.

Follow Christie on Instagram at @ChristieLeighBabiradAuthor and on Facebook at

@AuthorChristieLeighBabirad and @AuthorCherylBabirad.

Her books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.