Can you find joy to match Henny’s?
still waiting
for sun to rise
Henrietta’s already
barked at several train whistles
walked neighborhood
stolen shoes and removed their insoles
cleaned a hollow bone of its peanut butter filling
crunched one treat out of Kong ball—and given up on a second
shhhh….
I think she’s napping now
presence
wears a fur coat
On a Wednesday morning, I’m reading The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. I read the story of Holling Hoodhood years ago. It’s lots of fun exploring fiction from a new perspective…I’ve experienced so much since the first go around with a teen who feels the entire world is our to get him.
Mom, it’s not like you have to know someone well to hate their guts. You don’t sit around and have a long conversation and then decide whether or not to hate their guts. You just do. And she does. ~Holling Hoodhood
You see, Holling has decided his seventh grade teacher is out to get him… because while his classmates attend temple or mass on Wednesday afternoons, Holling, who is Presbyterian, is left alone with Mrs. Baker. He’s let his thoughts convince him that she’s out for his blood.
What Holling doesn’t know is Mrs. Baker is bunkered down with her own thoughts as her son is leaving for a war in Vietnam.
If the stories our minds tell us have the power to create Wednesday wars, what if we choose to write something different?
What if Holling Hoodhood told himself the story that Mrs. Baker was his ally?
here’s hoping the stories you tell yourself today
are filled
with possibility and joy
Splendid image of Henny exuding enthusiasm! The remarks about Holling Hoodhood provide a good example of how we develop our stories, often lacking objectivity or complete facts with which to support their authenticity. When circumstances first pose a threat to our story, a first response is often to embrace and protect the original flawed tenets. A friend once gently remarked on my view of a difficult situation, “Your logic is perfect... but your premise is inaccurate.” Notice the lack of personal attack or inflammatory rhetoric. As always, thanks for your gentle nudges toward a more positive, hopeful approach to life!