Ten Minutes With Seuss

At the end of a long and less than productive day, I come upon Dr. Seuss. No matter how many kids' books people unload over the years, Dr. Seuss tends to remain. Somehow, it is sentimental, or relevant, or entertaining, or all of the above, no matter what your age.

This particular one is Oh, The Places You'll Go!, a Seuss almost meant for grownups, or those on the cusp of grownuphood. As I read it aloud (because who wouldn't read Seuss aloud?), I am struck on each page by how relevant it is--to my kids, of varying ages and stages of life, and to me, now, as much as it was when I was when graduating or starting work or being out of work. It jumps right to the fear we all experience. It rather fearlessly reminds us, the readers, that we are stronger and more resourceful than we seem (or realize). Entirely in rhyme, it grants us being overwhelmed by the most terrible of things, and then reminds us that there are paths out of just about everything.

On a daily basis, we are much more often reading fiction or non-fiction or self-help or the newspaper to figure out our world and our place in it. Sometimes, we succeed in our figuring. For me, just ten minutes with Seuss opened my eyes in ways those other things often haven't. Seuss may not have given me the steps to take, but it certainly made me feel strong enough to look for the steps. And sometimes, at the end of a long and not very productive day, a little Seuss strength is a powerful thing.