A few weeks ago during a short cleaning spree in our basement, I found a large tote filled with books from my childhood. In it were an abundance of classics, including a copy of Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.
Before naps, during downtime, and prior to bedtime prayers we have been reading a chapter or two over the past week. The boys have seen the older version of the movie, as have I. The book is delightful and fun, but we all knew what was coming.
Last night we read the final two chapters of the book. Can I just say, "Hello tears, goodbye sanity!?" Seriously, people! I am a grown adult who was weeping over the death of a spider! Weeping! This from a girl who is deep and lifelong friends with Bug-B-gone, Terminex and Hot Shot Max! I was completely depressed for the remainder of the evening as I kept blowing my nose and remembering that "Charlotte died alone..." Good grief! Mr. White, what have you done to me? Talk about the facts of life!
The boys didn't seem to be bothered. Granted, my youngest was dumping all the clothes out of laundry baskets in the closet and was slightly out of earshot. My oldest wasn't so much worried about the book as much as why his mother had to continually stop reading in order to gain her composure!
It does prove, however, that when we humanize something, it gives that thing great capacity to exceed itself...and our emotional attachment to it. On the other hand, when we devalue or dehumanize something, we find ourselves questioning its worth. My husband wrote a great post this week along the same lines here.
Ahhh... the joy of books. I think after this, we're ready for the "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich".
1 comment:
Your posted reminded me so much of my mom. We would always tease her because when she would read aloud she would struggle so much to keep her composure on the sad bits. We would give her a royal ribbing for it. Then I became a teacher of 6th graders and went through the same thing.
Post a Comment