Waiting for Wonderland

I am counting the days, the hours, and the minutes until I can sit in a dark theater, put on my 3D glasses and get totally lost in my favorite story: Alice in Wonderland.


I first read the book when I was eight years old and when I reached the end I started over again and again, seven times in a row. This was the book I'd look for when I had a bad cold, when my mother baked my favorite cookies, whenever anything was wrong and whenever anything was right. The story became my security blanket, a shimmering tent under which I found laughter and peace.


When my son was born I could not wait until he could read and I could give him the ticket to Wonderland. It so happened that he turned to be an avid reader and to my delight, he did enjoy the ride.  When he was about nine years old things were a bit rough in my life, I was burdened with heavy and unwanted loads and I suppose that, in spite of all my efforts to act normal and cheerful, my son, with the uncanny ability children possess to see beyond and more than we think, was able to detect my sadness. One afternoon when he returned from school he was very excited. There had been a Book Fair and he had bought a few, including a beautiful hardcopy of Alice in Wonderland. He said, "Mom, this is our book. I know you've read it a million times but you should read it again, you know how that white rabbit always cheer you up."   He opened the flap and right on the label that says "This book belongs to" he had written both our names. It was a beautiful day indeed. I felt all clouds lifting away from me, and as I held him close to my heart I became stronger. Wonderland was all around us.


Years have passed, gone is the little boy who shared his books with me, he is now a man who lives on the other side of the world, but I still can feel the magic spell of that certain afternoon.  Much has been written about Alice in Wonderland, many attempts have been made to get it's "meaning" and rumors have passed regarding it's author. However, all I need to know is there on each and every word, each character, each situation. I don't care to know what they mean, all I know is that they were and still are a source of joy. I don't want to "understand" Wonderland, I just want to visit and get lost in it's magic.


The count down has begun!