Sleep According to Holden Caulfield

"Anyway, I went into D.B.'s room quiet as hell, and turned on the lamp on the desk. Old Phoebe didn't even wake up. When the light was on and all, I sort of looked at her for a while. She was laying there asleep, with her face sort of on the side of the pillow. She had her mouth way open. It's funny. You take adults, they look lousy when they're asleep and they have their mouths way open, but kids don't. Kids look alright. They can even have spit all over the pillow and they still look alright."
-From The Catcher in the Rye

I got a call from the school nurse to pick up Ella today. Sick day! As she fell asleep on the couch watching Bob the Builder, all I could think about was the moment in The Catcher in the Rye when Holden watches his little sister Phoebe sleep. I love that part.

For years, The Catcher in the Rye was my favorite book. But when I learned it was a sort of a cliche answer, I started making up new obscure favorites! It worked out so well, that I started doing it with everything. Annie Hall was no longer my favorite movie. My So-Called Life was no longer my favorite show. Bob Dylan was no longer my favorite musician. At least not if anyone asked me! Oh how intellectual and interesting I must have sounded to name an oddball book, movie, show, or band!

I picked up a copy The Catcher in the Rye from the library today so I could find that passage. Owen and Oscar joined me. After I found the part I was looking for, I started reading the book from the beginning. I haven't read it for years.  It's weird and wonderful to read it from a NY parent's perspective. I continued reading it while my boys played on the train track carpet in the children's department of the library. I couldn't help but feel like my life was just about perfect in that moment. Obvious choice or not, it's by far my favorite book.

What are your (albeit obvious) favorites?






This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.