Dr. Seuss, Magic and the ghost of bad days…

I was looking up some children’s books today, and though few things have made me feel better in the past few weeks, somehow, those books did the trick. Maybe it’s because lately I’ve been dreaming about going back to more innocent times. Maybe it’s because they’re simple. Straightforward. Perhaps they remind me of my dad, of easier times, of being happy.

Or maybe it’s that there’s magic in there. Real, undeniable magic. The kind you feel even though it makes no sense, the kind that lifts your spirits, brings a smile to your face. The magic of belief, of possibility, of hope. The magic of dreams.

Big words for simple books.

As kids, those are the things we learn. As adults, though, isn’t it true that, from time to time, we need a reminder of those lessons we learned when we were little? As toddlers we learn to dream and hope, and yet, sometimes, when we grow up, we lose sight of that. We lose sight of a great many thing.

I grew up surrounded by books, and yet I don’t remember reading most of the stereotypical children’s books till I was older. If I’m to be honest, I grew up surrounded by mostly age-inappropriate books, because my parents believed reading was good, and most things could/should be explained if kids were curious enough to ask.

There were a lot of questions.

Dr. Seuss might not seem like the most suitable reading for my age-group, but today, it brought a smile to my face. Considering how hard that’s been lately, and how today feels like an ominous day no matter where you happen to live, it was just what the doctor ordered. So, yes, it’s September 11^th, and thirteen years ago, bad things happened. And they keep happening. Every day. Some are violent, some are cruel, and some are public, but others are private. They don’t hurt any less because of a lack of publicity, though. We all have our secret sorrows. 

Sometimes the questions are complicated, and the answers are simple, Dr. Seuss said. But maybe that’s not the quote we should remember. Perhaps it all comes down to this:

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”