March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday, and many schools will celebrate "Read Across America Day". As we were preparing for this day at my school, my friend found this excerpt from Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. She was really cute, because she was reading the story aloud to me and just stopped. I asked her to print it out, and then I said, "Oh my goodness. There is an entire section about waiting."
She remarked, "Yeah, I know. I was scared to read it to you. I thought you'd cry." She was right, and she would know because she is also an adoptive mommy. A silly, ole Dr. Seuss book (which we all know are never just silly) gave me such hope and encouragement on a dreary day of waiting! Thank you, Dr. Seuss and E'Lise!
Here's the excerpt:
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
And believe me - the "boom bands" will be playing on the day they call with a court date. They will play a little louder on the day we pass court, and they will be playing FULL blast when we see our sweet Zadie's face!!!!
