I've brought one card with me - and I got so many lovely ones but I can't carry too much stuff (even as I TRY to!). This is from Lou and Jerome and Meg and it's a wonderful poem by Dr Seuss (if I write it down here then I can stop carrying the card - lovely though it is!).
"Congratulations!
Today is your day
You're off to Great Places
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose
You're on your own. And you know what you know,
And YOU are the guy that will decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care
About some you will say "I don't choose to go there".
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet
you're too smart to go down any not so good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to do down
in that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there, things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And then things start to happen
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along
You'll start happening too.
OH
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up
You'll be seeing great sights
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top the rest.
Except when you don't
Because sometimes you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ey perch
And your gang will fly on
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A Place you could sprain both your elbow and chin.
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around the back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space.
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place
The Waiting Place.
...for people just waiting
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow,
or the Waiting mourned for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow
Everyone is just waiting.
\
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break,
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants,
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance,
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow, you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
Where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping
once more you'll ride high
ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of guy.
Oh the places you'll go! there is Fun to be done.
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't
because sometimes they won't.
I'm afraid that sometimes
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win.
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not.
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon
That can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will (hike - which i will replace with)- bike!
And I know you'll bike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act
Just never forget to be dextorous and deft
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed).
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So,
be your name Buxbaun or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea
You're off to Great Places
Today is your day
Your mountain is waiting
So... get on your way.
(oh, I WISH I'd written that! Apt ay?)