March is a very special month, and not only for the Irish. If you happen to have been blessed with a March birthday, you are in extraordinarily good company.
Why?
Well, for starters, I was born in the month of March. March 4th to be exact. (We’ll skip the year because in the words of Satchel Paige, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" Let us relish the not-knowing, shall we?)
Not special enough you say? Hmmm.
Okay, how about this one – Theodor Geisel was born on March 2, 1904.
Who is Theodore Geisel?! Oh, please don’t say that! You know him so well!
He is the one, the only, the spectacular magical author of all things Seussical – Dr. Seuss. Now do you feel special for having a March birthday? I do.
What an impact this man has had, and continues to have, on children and adults around the globe. Entertaining, educating, inspiring, and spreading gobs and gobs of joy the likes of which this world had never seen before he was old enough to match paper to pen. Although I bet his home had beautifully decorated walls before then.
Aside from his obvious literary and artistic genius, Seuss had a way of not only making reading more fun than anyone could have possibly imagined, but of sharing messages that desperately need retelling to each new generation. My personal favorite being that every single one of us is unique and special.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s wonderful work, “Happy Birthday to You!”
My favorite passage in this celebratory treasure reads as follows:
"Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, 'I am lucky to be what I am!
Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham
Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!
I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be!
If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!'"
So whether you say it in bare feet or socks, the fact of the matter is,
Seuss simply ROCKS!
It is humbling even to attempt to honor such a man, but since his work has done so much to touch the lives of my family (and yours) for generations, I sincerely wanted to try.
So here is my ode to a man with talents beyond description, imagination beyond measure, and literary impact everlasting. Oh, how I wish I had the technical skills to deliver the quality of video to which he is entitled, but alas, I am a newbie.
However, something tells me the good Doctor wouldn’t want me stuck in “The Waiting Place” until I master it all. I might never come out. He also knows there are two little Whos and many To Dos around which I present this fond tribute for yous.
That being said, may this little poem bring you great joy as you celebrate the marvelous man behind the Cat, the Hat, the Blue Fish and all that.
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Love,
Monica
