Where the Wild Things Are

Beloved author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, died today at the age of 83. His most famous work, "Where the Wild Things Are" was a favorite of mine growing up as well as for my three girls. There is just something so relatable in a story about a little boy who gets out of line, gets punished, and then uses his imagination to embark upon an epic adventure to a place where unruly behavior is acceptable and encouraged. I know that's what I would have loved, being a rowdy child myself–a place to run wild! 

     In the earliest years of this particular book's publishing, Sendak received a bit of criticism for the premise of the story. Psychologists of the day believed punishment for children equated desertion–and for Max he had this horrific experience twice, once when he was sent to his room and then again when he was told he would not have supper. Somehow, our culture has learned to equate denial with something abhorrent. We look around us today and witness an entire generation that has seldom ever experienced any form of denial and are only beginning to understand the repercussions of this method of belief.

     Biblically we know that Jesus spent time in the wilderness denying himself of food and drink just prior to entering into his ministry. This extensive time was a time where he encountered temptation through the evil one, but defined strongly the path he would walk. He entered into a life devoted to teaching and healing in God's name and completely upsetting the status quo of the time. We celebrate the season of Lent each year with a desire to create a method of self-denial, or self-discipline to somehow draw us closer into relationship with God. It is our hope that our Lenten journey will define for us a path that draws us into following Christ and Christ's teachings more fully in our life.

     So, not all forms of denial are bad for us, sometimes we need to deny ourselves that which we most desire because we are not truly at a point where we can fully appreciate or care for that particular source of our admiration. Dave Ramsey admonishes throughout his lessons on Financial Peace that instant gratification will destroy a family's financial security faster than any other obstacle that presents itself in a life full of extenuating circumstances. Delayed gratification, self-denial, and self-discipline are necessary to being responsible adults in the world–necessary to being able to live and operate in the world as an asset to society. Allowing our children to experience a bit of denial helps them to understand the benefits of these lessons as well. They learn to work and plan for the things in life they want rather than live with an expectation of entitlement. 

     Maurice Sendak understood these difficult lessons. In fact, all his children's books dealt specifically with life's difficult lessons. He had such a wonderful quality of bringing these lessons to us in ways in which we fully embraced his art as a loving gift–which is how he meant for them to be perceived. Little Max, that one who lived so wild, learned how to master his feelings of anger and learned how to cope in a world filled with realities. He was brought back with a belief in parental love and upon his return he finds his dinner waiting for him. This, too, is a lesson for all time. Life is filled with difficult lessons, but that parental love of God draws us forever forward into intimate relationship. We have to learn to come to terms with the realities of life and rest in trust that the Eternal Parent will love us in spite of the wild rumpus we often make of our lives. 

Rest in Peace, Maurice. And thank you for a lifetime of lessons of wonder!
Blessings,
Tracy