My parents have always been very patient with me, and I have yet to find a worthy repayment for that patience. Obedience only goes so far. Gratitude is nice, but kind of empty without action. I find now that the best thing I can give them is my full attention, whenever I can.

The storyteller Maurice Sendak died last week. He wrote books about kids that did things wrong, and about people that weren’t always living happy, proper lives. He didn’t push on his readers how children should behave but instead showed us as we are. He understood that our lives are made up of both fact and fiction, but neither have the final say on what we should do with our lives.

“Children do live in fantasy and reality; they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember how to do.” ~ Maurice Sendak

Max is a good example. At the start of his story, he has been acting wild and has been sent to his room. It might not be how he should behave, but sometimes a story has to start somewhere.

“Maurice Sendak was strikingly honest. His art gave us a fantastical but unromanticized reminder of what childhood truly felt like. We are all honored to have been briefly invited into his world.” ~ Stephen Colbert

Even though I was pretty sure at one point that I knew everything important, Mom has always shown me through stories that it is what I don’t know that is always more important. That’s why now, more than ever in my life, I try to listen and learn from her.

In this short video, Sendak talks tries to answer “Why bother being born?”, “Why bother to work?”, and why his dog shows up in most of his books.

Maurice Sendak was a lucky man and good hero to mimic. He committed himself to his work and to his life. He didn’t always take himself too seriously. He found his bliss.

Another good video – Dresden Dolls did a cover of Carole King’s version of Maurice Sendak’s story about Pierre, the boy that didn’t care.

Happy Mother’s Day!