Dr. Seuss wasn’t really a doctor. “Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to the world as Dr. Seuss was born on 2nd of March 1904 in Howard Street, Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel credited his mother to be his first inspiration. She often chanted rhymes to her children in order to sooth them to sleep which developed the desire and affection in Geisel to create rhymes. His early life in Springfield and the memories of his childhood had an influence on his writings which can be observed in his work.” How fondly I remember reading his books to my little one many moons ago – without even bothering to find out who he was. His stories were delightfully simple and lots of fun. My little one loved the rhyming and the repetition as all children do.
I had all but forgotten about him until I came across a display with his books in a bookstore. “The Cat in the Hat” and “The Grinch who stole Christmas” were part of our home library. It’s only now that I’m beginning to understand that there was lots of wisdom in what he wrote and what we read. Finding these “silly” rhymes at this stage of life brought me to the insight of just how much I have evolved over the years – in so many ways.
In “The Cat in the hat,” the line “It is fun to have fun but you have to know how” resonated with me as I too had lots of fun with some dolls the other day. I had bought ten of them – a woman in her sixties buying ten dolls you might say. They were beautiful. The weather was cold and dreary outside that day. This was time to create my own fun inside. Together with my cat, we had fun.
Cali liked having the dolls near her and smelling them. I enjoyed playing with the dolls by putting them in different positions around her and taking her picture. I admired how pretty the dolls were and Cali too. Total enjoyment for everyone. Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.
This brought me to ponder on life and whether it is just about ambition and solving problems or whether we can have some fun too. Can we give ourselves the opportunity to have fun when we aren’t solving a problem that has arisen in our “little” world? After all, the world abounds with problems, big and small. We all have our highs and lows, our joys and sorrows.
What a lot I have learned from Cali and to become Seussian at this stage of life! “If you keep your eyes open enough, oh the stuff you will learn. Oh the most wonderful stuff.” Hope you enjoyed the collages and here are some other Dr. Seuss’s rhymes for your enjoyment and, maybe, learning.
Balance
- So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act.
- Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.
Be Yourself
- Be awesome! Be a book nut!
- If you’d never been born, then you might be an Isn’t! An Isn’t has no fun at all. No, he disn’t.
- Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
- You are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?
- You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in.
Challenges
- I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
- I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.
- It’s a troublesome world. All the people who’re in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not.
Christmas
- Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more …
Everybody Deserves a Shot
- A person’s a person, no matter how small.
- I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.
- Kid, you’ll move mountains! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!”
Geisel published 46 children’s books, often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of anapestic meter. His most-celebrated books include the bestselling Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, Fox in Socks,The King’s Stilts, Hop on Pop, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose,Horton Hatches the Egg, Horton Hears a Who!, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
All refs. are internet based.
