So there I was the following day after starting the blog, busy as always, running around helping a friend move, keeping Little Man and Baby Girl occupied, and trying to think of my next blog post when I come home late in the evening to find a box at the front door. Imagine my surprise when I see it's from Amazon. I had not ordered anything. Was not expecting any ARCs at the moment and was quite honestly scared that if I opened the package I'd be financially responsible for the mysterious content. And what was it? Who was it from? Dear Friend had sent my package as a gift with no return address, and with no sender name on the front. Oh, Amazon, how you torture us sometimes.
I walked in, told Little Man and Baby Girl to go straighten up their rooms (yes, it was one of those days for them, see my first post to clarify), I stood in the foyer for about five minutes considering my choices. I listened closely for clock/bomb noises, gave it a little shake, then finally ripped in - I shall never turn down an adventure!
And it was!:
I almost cried when I finally saw it was from Dear Friend! He had just asked me if I'd read this story. I was clueless of the title, not even realizing it was the lovely Dr. Seuss - a childhood favorite (Dear Friend loves Sci-Fi so I had assumed Oh The Place You'll Go was some obscure otherworldly book he had found - silly me! And to my credit, after he'd asked if I'd read the story he never brought up the author, or why he wanted to know. Please forgive me for not knowing it was Dr. Seuss. Please.).
Not only had Dear Friend over-nighted me this most lovely of New Blog/Journey gifts, he sent me the Pop-Up version. I had perma-grin the entire time I read! The images were so lovely in 3D, as if I was walking through the story along with, You.
Dear Friend had hit all my anxious, overwhelming, joyful emotions about starting down this Writerly Road right on the nose. I could have never asked, or imagined, a better befitting gift.
I'd also like to add, that I've never been happier to have over-looked a classic book as a child. It usually pulls at my writer-soul to hear someone say, "You've never read __(insert classic book that makes you look like a non-reader/writer if you've never placed your eyes on said literature)__." Though this time I was thoroughly relieved that I was able to savor this particular story for the first time when its meaning would hit the most cords in me. When its words would be so powerful, they would give me the strength to continue on this journey and even see a beam of hope and good times ahead.
Oh The Places You'll Go is truly an inspiration and I could never fully express the depth of gratitude I hold for Dear Friend.
Sometimes books come into our lives when we most need them, and sometimes they come through the best friends anyone could ask for. I hope this weekend leads some readers to unread stories that inspire them as I've been inspired.
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