When Josie was about three, we went into our local bookstore to kill some time before her dance class. If you know Josie, you know the dancing didn’t last long, but her love for reading continues to this day. Good choice.
Our bookshop visit was in the fall, so there was a plethora of Halloween books to peruse. First question was, “Momma, can I get a Halloween book?” I replied, “Of course.” I’ve never denied Josie (or myself) a book. We are book people—some may say, book hoarders. Whatever.
We sat on the floor of the bookshop in front of the Halloween selection, and after some intense investigation, Josie found a book she wanted to read: Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It looked like a good read. The illustrations were wonderful. Turns out the story was equally delightful.
The story involved a witch and her cat who were zipping about on the witch’s broom. The witch kept dropping stuff such as her hair bow, her wand, her hat, and such. Each time she went to look for her lost items, a new forest creature helped her find them. They then ask if there is room on the broom for them. The witch always replies with a happy, “Yes, I have room on my broom!”
Soon enough, the broom is getting pretty full. Tragedy then strikes and the broom snaps. All the creatures scatter into the woods. Then the unthinkable happens. A dragon appears and is prepared to eat the witch. What to do? What to do? Well, luckily the other creatures fell into a muddy swamp and came out looking like a scary, muddy swamp monster. They scared the dragon away and saved the witch. Oh, happy day!
The witch then proceeded to make a new broom in her cauldron that accommodated all her new friends. It was an absolutely delightful book. I was secretly hoping Josie would pick this book. She did. We read it numerous times every Halloween for years. We still have the book.
Not only do we still have the book, but I quote it on the regular. When I’m in bed trying to take a nap, and all the dogs pile in bed with me and are jockeying for a position, I always tell them, “Settle down. There is plenty of room on the broom.”
When Josie comes to sit with me to watch TV in my oversized chair, I tell her, “Snuggle in. There is plenty of room on the broom.”
I love the witch’s message that there is always room for all creatures great and small. We all need to embrace this. Diversity rules!
Let’s make it a point in our own lives to leave some room on our broom for others who can be our friends and make our lives more interesting. Whether it is Halloween or March 5, always have some room on your broom for folks to add to your life and maybe even save your ass from a hungry dragon.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
