Is there much better in life than reading “The Giving Tree” to your children? I love Shel Silverstein’s poems, his art and the deeper meaning in what he writes. His books are celebrating 50 years now – www.shelsilverstein.com.
His writing reminds me not to take myself too seriously and to embrace childlike love and innocence. But he also reminds me about the meaning of some of the deeper things in life.
We’ve been focusing on love and friendship this month – loving ourselves, our friends, our families – and as I read his story on Facebook about The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, I found it to be so, so simple, yet so relevant to everyone I know.
It’s a love story, a beautiful love story about embracing who you are. Every child, every teen – and yep – every grown-up – benefits from this message –no one can complete you – except you! The “missing piece” triangle tried to make himself more flashy and attractive so he could roll with someone else (a circle)… but it was only when he discovered that by rolling on his own, he began to change his shape and become a unique circle himself!
Here’s my favorite part:
“But I have sharp corners,” said the missing piece.
“I am not shaped for rolling.”
“Corners wear off,” said the Big O, “and shapes change….”
Then …. Slowly … It lifted itself up on one end …
Then lift…pull…flop…and flopped over. It began to move forward….
And soon it’s edges began to wear off…. Liftpullflopliftpullflop…
And its shape began to change…
And then it was bumping instead of flopping…
And then it was bouncing instead of bumping…
And then it was rolling instead of bouncing…
And it didn’t know where and it didn’t care.
If you haven’t read The Missing Piece Meets the Big O – take a minute to read it and share it with your kids and grandkids. And as we wake up and embrace each day, my hope for each one of us is that we have the courage to Liftpullflopliftpullflop… and become the person we want to be – complete and whole – so we that we can show others the way!
Love to you all,
Susan
