Thankfully, Mercer Mayer did not let the discouraging and offensive evaluation of his first portfolio halt his efforts to draw and write what would become over 300 highly successful children’s books. “Throw it away,” the man said, and he did. His desire to draw and write he kept. In 1975, the year our daughter was born, his little critter books were becoming best sellers. This critter likened to a chipmunk or porcupine comically talks about his adventures, usually claiming credit for babysitting grandma or going to the beach when he is the one in need of assistance. Yet with genuine innocence, he enthusiastically adds “all by myself” throughout his ventures. One of his early books had the phrase as its title.
These
days I am a living version—no illustrations, please—of an All By Myself for
Seniors. After breaking my right wrist and having surgery on December 1, I
was not a happy or useful senior camper.
With some balance issues and in need of a walker all the time, those
early days were difficult and a little disheartening. As for home help, I could write a book on
what not to do, but one book project at a time.
Visiting home therapists and nurses were very helpful and encouraging as
the weeks started to add up. Soon I
noticed I was frequently including “all by myself” with some of my regained
abilities. Just this last week, I put on
a shirt with buttons all by myself; today, I put on athletic shoes with ties,
yeah, you guessed it, all by myself.
Life
experiences can have a way of helping people realize the value of abilities and
everyday conveniences, like putting your hair in a ponytail or writing a check,
that we so often take for granted. More
than anyone suspects, getting through the last two months has been by the grace
and strength only God can provide, but I think He, too, might be amused by my old
lady version of “all by myself.”
