It’s no longer a shock when hearing a story on NPR brings tears, (StoryCorps, I’m looking at you!).  However, I don’t ever recall reading an NPR story that moved me to tears.  This interview with Maurice Sendak of Where The Wild Things Are fame just wrecked me. 

“When I did Bumble-ardy, I was so intensely aware of death,” he says. “Eugene, my friend and partner, was dying here in the house when I did Bumble-ardy. I did Bumble-ardy to save myself. I did not want to die with him. I wanted to live as any human being does. But there’s no question that the book was affected by what was going on here in the house. … Bumble-ardy was a combination of the deepest pain and the wondrous feeling of coming into my own. And it took a long time. It took a very long time.”

This is the first time I’ve ever seen words in print (aside from a single self-help book) that directly address the opportunity for growth that comes with the death of a close loved one. “…the wondrous feeling of coming into my own.”  

These final words from his interview brought me to tears yet again, just going to copy and paste them:

“I have nothing now but praise for my life. I’m not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can’t stop them. They leave me and I love them more. … What I dread is the isolation. … There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready.”

These words stand alone, without comment.  It’s just so exquisitely authentic and raw and poignant and sad, but not sad.  The book, in case you can’t guess from the title, is about a pig who wants his first birthday party.  Add this book to my growing birthday list.