Free Therapy!

Now that I have your attention:

My kids picked Shel Silverstein poems for their bedtime story tonight. Talk about the Children’s Literature Canon! I can’t think of another child’s poet off the top of my head this instant. Who doesn’t have some of his more famous poems memorized? When my kids and I read them, we don’t go in order and we don’t stick to one book. We flip through all three and read them out loud based on the title, the picture, or one of mommy’s memories.

To say Shel was talented is to write one of my bigger understatements of the month. Not only did he give us three volumes of incredible poetry, but how many women get The Giving Tree as a shower gift? That one is definitely on top of the “Good Mommy” list. You know I model my daily comings and goings after that tree. Ha! I would have been chucking apples at that kid’s head to knock some sense in him. You know you need a night off when you shriek at the children, “Sit down and listen mommy read The Giving Tree, you little brats!" I know someone somewhere has felt that way even if I am the only one who is going to fess up.

Reading any of those poems is hysterical and I am going to transcribe some poems with my own children’s interjections eventually. but tonight, I had one of my “Epiphanies.” People don’t need to pay for therapy and some of them could possibly skip a religious service if they just paid attention to Shel.

I thought I would share this scene from "Snowman." He wants to experience all the summer has to offer:

Seasons come and seasons go,

And the greatest ice must crumble

When it’s flowers’ time to grow.

And as one thing is beginning

So another thing must die,

And there’s never been a snowman

Who has ever seen July.

This is my problem. This sums me up. I'm never ready for the next phase of my life when it happens. What do you mean we are moving? What do you mean autism? What do you mean the boys need distance? I want a snowman in July. I have always wanted a snowman in July. I used to wear jeans in the North Carolina summer-you can ask all the kids in the neighborhood that used to tease me about it. Of course now that I live in Connecticut, I might see one in July yet.

I remember in the novel Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs talked of "Bible Dipping." That is when you ask a question, flip through the bible, and point anywhere inside it. Then the line you landed on answers your question.

I'm going to try this with Where the Sidewalk Ends and get back to Y'all....