#sol17: Charlotte's Web

Day 30 of #sol17

     There is just something about that pig...  Or, maybe, just maybe, it's the spider that gets me every time.  I bet it's a combination of the two.

     I have always had a problem reading Charlotte's Web aloud.  I had to pass the book to my co-teacher once mid chapter, and then again to a co-worker when I was a guest reader in a classroom.  I just can't make it through the book without crying.  The tears, however, don't always come at the same spot.  The sentimental sap that I am sometimes cries at the loss of a friend, the growing older of a young child, the selflessness of a friend, or the choice to stay by new friends.  There is just one guarantee: I will cry.

     My children came home with Charlotte's Web for their One Book, One School title a month or so ago, and I immediately knew I might be crying in front of my own kids.  I secretly hoped that my husband would end up reading those heartfelt chapters, just to spare my children the ugly tears that might be shed.  No such luck.

     Last night, we had three chapters to go.  We settled in, and I made it through the first chapter.  I then felt the tears start to well up.  My voice started to crack.  My kids both stopped and looked at me, suddenly curious.  I tried to continue on.  It just wasn't going to happen.

     "I just can't do this," I said between tears.  "Brian?"  No response.

     "Daddy, Mommy needs you.  She can't read anymore."

     My husband came into the room, awoken from his sleep, to find his crying wife.  He looked slightly confused, yet sat at the end of the bed and continued the story to the end.  My hero.  I could quietly cry in peace.

     Today we went to the family literacy event celebrating Charlotte's Web, and I am happy to report that I did not cry during the crafts or the activities.  It seems that the words of E.B. White alone are the cause of my tears.  :)