Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Books to read before I'm 30 - book two

'The Missing Piece' by Shel Silverstein

It's one of those tales we should all read and learn from, cleverly disguised as a children's book.

It is about a, well, what looks like a boulder with a mouth, which is not happy, because it is missing a piece. So it sets off in search of its missing piece.

'Oh I'm lookin' for my missin' piece
I'm looking for my missin' piece
Hi-dee-ho, here I go,
Lookin' for my missin' piece'

It finds what it thinks is its missing piece, but this piece causes it to roll so fast that it doesn't have time to talk to a worm, smell a flower, or for the butterfly to land on him. Eventually it realises it must set down the piece and continue its journey alone.

Eight grown-ups circled a table of champagne and hors d'oeuvres and were read to. As Elly gently turned the last page and closed the book, I think we were all processing different messages from the story.

But for me it is a reminder to spend less time in life seeking something bigger, better, more interesting (the missing piece); and instead appreciate all the wonderful gifts that the here and now has for you.

After all, all we have in life is what we have right now.

No comments: