springfield

“If we didn’t have birthdays,
you wouldn’t be you.
If you’d never been born,
well then what would you do?
If you’d never been born,
well then what would you be?
You might be a fish!
Or a toad in a tree!
You might be a doorknob!
Or three baked potatoes!
You might be a bag full of
hard green tomatoes.”

“Or worse than all that…Why,
you might be a WASN’T!
A Wasn’t has no fun at all.
No, he doesn’t.
A Wasn’t just isn’t.
He just isn’t present.
But you…You ARE YOU!
And, now isn’t that pleasant!”

“Today you are you!
That is truer than true!
There is no one alive…
Happy Birthday To You!

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss!

His actual name was Theodor Seuss Geisel and he was born in Springfield, MA. While I never met Dr. Seuss in person, I had the opportunity to have several connections to him. The first was geographical. In addition to being from Springfield, MA myself, my grandparents lived on Mulberry Street in Springfield. “And To Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street” was Geisel’s first children’s book and contains not only the street name from his home city, but lots of imagery of Springfield, as well.

My college internship was done at the Springfield Library and Museums public relations department. My largest project with them was my work on the Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden. It was my responsibility to much of the behind the scenes work for the press conferences and it was exciting to have a hand in something so important. A few years ago I visited the sculpture garden with my daughters and was moved to see the magical creations on the Quadrangle in Springfield, MA.

As a mother of two young girls, I have spent many hours reading Dr. Seuss. My daughters brought home a notice from school this week reminding that Geisel’s birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.

I know there are many of you who, like me, have memorized Dr. Seuss’ work….in honor of his birthday and the National Read Across America Day I thought we could have a little fun with it. I will start with “Green Eggs and Ham”…pick up the next line after me and let’s see how far we can get!

Sam I am
I am Sam
Sam I am
That Sam-I-am!
That Sam-I-am!
I do not like that Sam-I-am!