Wednesday, May 28, 2008

It's Okay to be Different

Every once in a while when I’m feeling rather grumpy and out-of- sorts, I enjoy spending an hour or so in the children’s section of the bookstore.

I usually find that children’s books have a magical way of touching my heart; allowing me to look at life through the eyes of a little one.

Last weekend I discovered a wonderful series of books by author Todd Parr. There was something about the way the book covers looked that drew me to them. They also had a special loving energy about them.

The one that really jumped out at me was “It’s Okay to be Different.”

And as I sat there with my cup of java, I felt myself being deeply touched by the sweet child-like illustrations and the words that celebrated our differences...

Things like: our skin color, height, weight, or physical disabilities. Also things such as: being adopted, or being raised by a single parent or even same-sex parents, are things to be embraced and understood as being okay.

It was a brief book, so it didn’t take me very long to read through it. I found myself glancing through some of Todd’s other books too. Each one had a wonderful message within it which ironically was something I needed to be reminded of.

And I couldn’t help but wish that these books had been available when I was a child because they all seemed to be such a natural and healthy way to live life.

By the end of the afternoon it literally felt as if my heart had softened.

So if you have some time, please do yourself a favor and visit Todd’s World. It’s the cutest damn thing you ever saw. It’s like stepping back into your childhood. You’ll find information about Todd, his personal website, his books, special events…and his dog, Bully.

And above all…you’ll FEEL GOOD!

Enjoy!