♫ When Words Are Music...Oh What A Song They Sing ♫

I woke up this morning. Laid there and thought, "Please leave me be, please go away, I am NOT going to get up today"! I stepped out onto the floor, and it began. "Left foot, right foot, feet, feet, feet, how many feet do you meet?" I knew, no matter what, "The time has come, the time is now, you can go by foot or you can go by cow, but Michelle Mount Mims (Marvin K. Mooney) will you please go now?" I knew that I would have to go to work. And I began to think  "I wish that I had duck feet, and I can tell you why, I wish that I had duck feet, you don't have to keep them dry."  

What a beautiful man Theodor Seuss Geisel must have been. For nothing but beautiful thoughts and sing song rhymes seemed to run through his mind. His only intention, his only joy, was to make children laugh and smile. To make children love listening to his words, so much, that they would want to do nothing but read or be read to. He wanted them to experience the glorious magic of every day words. For once those words were put together in a flowing rhythm, they appeared to be nothing short of words without music. ♫ I love my house, I love my nest, in all the world, my nest is best ♫

His are the books I read to my boys, before they ever entered this world. His are the books I read to my boys until they were old enough to read themselves. And after.  Being very careful, all the while, to infuse voices, expressions, sound effects and laughter through every word. To emphasize the "P's" in Hop on Pop, and holler as if it were real in "Catch that Ball!"  And to watch adults and children alike, giggle at the thought of something such as green eggs and ham.

I walked through our office this morning, asking the younger men and women with small children the same question. One by one, I asked them. Do you read to your children? Do you make sure you set story book time aside for your little ones? Do you do your best to make reading fun? And...did you know, today is the birthday of the most wonderful writer who ever lived?

I love baby showers. Picking out the cute little outfits. The soft cuddly blankets and stuffed animals. But there is no baby shower that I attend, that books are not the biggest part of the gift. And I always make sure to say, "Please promise me you will read to your baby, every single chance you get. Start now, don't wait, even in your tummy, they can hear you."

Whoever reads this tonight, please say a silent thank you to the man who brought rainbows, duck feet, trips to the zoo, children jumping on bear tummies, horses called Robert, and balls that cannot be caught. Brought all of those things and so much more. With color, pizazz, love and laughter. The magical words rolled out of his mind and onto pages. Words spoken with musical notes. Pages accompanied by colorful pictures to capture the attention of little eyes. Elegant, gracefully placed verbiage, that entertains to the highest degree of pleasure.

Dr Suess, you brought thousands of hours of joy to me and my children. If it were up to me, your birthday would be a National Holiday. We would fly the flags in every city at half mast. We would shut down all the businesses for a day. And march. March down the streets of every small town and big city. Reciting your words out loud. At the top of our lungs. Every school in the nation would do nothing all day, but read your books out loud in the class rooms. We would read, read, read, all day long. Until all the laughter in the streets, the schools and the world reached your ears in heaven. And hopefully. We could in turn. Bring you the same joy. You have brought all of us for years and years and years.

We love you Dr. Suess. God bless your genius mind and your passionate heart. Happy Birthday Dr Suess. May your words live on forever.

copyright © 2011 Michelle Mount Mims