What we can learn from The Cat in the Hat
In celebration of International Children’s Book Day I want to highlight the contributions of Dr. Seuss who gave us so many teachable stories. Not only was he able to entertain children but he was able to convey such important and timeless messages in simple short stories!
The Cat in the Hat
This classic everyone should know and should read to their younger relatives whenever they can. In the story, Sally and her brother are stuck at home on a boring, rainy day. Their mother is gone away for the day and they are sad and blue that they are trapped inside all day. Out of the blue the Cat in the Hat shows up with a mysterious box that contains twin creatures Thing 1 and Thing 2. The Cat in the Hat and the Things end up causing a ruckus doing all sorts of fun, all the while the pet fish is warning them to be neat and not play such messy games. They end up having a fun filled day where they do everything from fly kites in the house to balance a cake on top of a pile of random house-hold objects. When their mother is on her way back home house, the fish warns everyone and the Cat in the Hat and his two Things magically clean up everything in jiff, leaving the house spotless and undamaged. In the end, the children must decide whether to tell their mother about all of the fun they had.
I love this story. The spirit of it is so fresh and really shows us how to approach life when things are not how we hoped.
Learn to Dance in the Rain
I wilt when the sun’s not out. Every day that has clouds and no sun is a fight for me. Rainy days are going to happen but instead of begrudging them and wasting energy railing against things not being how they should be you just have to make the most of the situation. It’s hard to look at what you have rather than at what you want but that’s really the secret to true happiness. Things are never going to be perfect. That’s it. But if you can learn to dance and celebrate life no matter what’s weighing on you, then you’re the true winner because the truth is that nothing is permanent and nothing is guaranteed.
Look inwards for happiness
Sally and her brother were so focused on outside. That’s where the fun is! But what’s inside can be just as rewarding and is in fact even better because it means being creative and learning and most importantly you dictate the terms not the outside world that’s always changing. As a kid I always wanted to go outside but I didn’t’ have friends in the neighborhood and was an only child so I had to learn to entertain myself indoors. The lesson is that outside doesn’t have anything you can’t find inside if you’re willing to look and be creative. Stop looking outside for validation. Temporary people, things, situations, objects, clothes, possessions. They might satisfy you temporarily but that’s like trying to have popcorn for dinner. It’s not going to feed you in the long run. Look at what you have to offer and work on those things. Don’t rely on external “proof” that the world wants you and you belong. You’re here, aren’t you? Then you belong and you don’t have to waste time, energy, and money proving that.
Don’t tell mom
At the end, Dr. Seuss left it as a question whether or not Sally and her should tell their mom about the fun adventures they had. Would you? This is a question you’ll have to answer over and over again. People will come into your world and underestimate your worth or try and pry where they don’t belong all the time. They’ll ask questions and poke you trying to see what you’re made of and how much they can get out of you. People who have experienced a lot don’t say a lot. I used to wonder why people didn’t just tell me everything I wanted to know. But now, I don’t even ask if it might be sensitive or valuable to them. When people ask me about things and I don’t want to discuss or they wouldn’t understand, I just get that far away look in my eye and smile. Let it be in me and only in me. Telling everyone everything is a way to seek validation. You can keep some of your experiences and adventures private. They’re yours! Think to yourself “It’s none of your business” but say to them with a smile “Why do you ask?”
There’s always going to be a fish.
The fish is the conscience in the story trying to stop the cat and warn him of the trouble he is causing. The Cat in the Hat just blithely continues knowing it’s all good, well-meaning fun and that his minions and he can clean up and pack up in an instant when it’s time to go back to reality. There’s always going to be a voice that tells you NOT to do what seems bad in the moment but will be good for you in the long run. Not everything that seems easy and safe is the right thing and not everything that seems scary is actually dangerous. There are plenty of things that are dangerous but not scary. You have to be on the look out for things that are NOT scary but are dangerous. Jumping out of an airplane might be really scary, but how many people have actually died in skydiving accidents? Your fish must be tempered. It’s a good thing to know when to quit (like in the end of the story!) but that’s no way to live all the time.
In the end, please have fun even when things are not perfect. And they never are.
