Dear Opl (16 page)
Authors: Shelley Sackier
“Last week, I had to write a report for English class. I chose the book
To
Kill
a
Mockingbird
by Harper Lee. I picked this quote to write about: âYou never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of viewâuntil you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.'” I paused here and opened my eyes. My heartbeat thumped loudly in my chest. I didn't really want to say this next part, but it spilled out anyway.
“I wrote about this because it described everything I wanted people to know about me. That I felt judged. And when I finished my report, I realized something else. I judged other people.” I looked at all the eyes in the audience and wondered if anyone was going to jump up and point at me with an,
I
knew
it!
“I suppose books are a lot like people. It's easy to judge its outside. Or
mi
sjudge it. It's super easy to say we don't like its color or the size is all wrong. The print is too small. Its pages too thin. But then, if you can see past all of thatâ¦I meanâ¦past what bothers you, you climb inside its skin. You open the cover. Someone's insides speak to you. And I don't mean that in any gross way.”
I took a second to look at Rudy and hoped he could see me grabbing my bull by the horns. “In here, you see everything from their eyes and not your own. You smell and hear and taste and feel from the inside of them. The person you spent the past few minutes looking for reasons not to like.
“If you're patient, and sometimes you have to be super patientâ¦you'll see the color you didn't like before isn't as awful as you once thought. Maybe you'll find out that what they eat for lunch isn't so weird, and it only looked weird but tasted wonderful. You might find that what they say out loud is exactly what you've wanted to say, but only ever wrote about in your diary.
“The stuff they see and tell you about is stuff you didn't know before. Or hadn't thought about that way. Or maybe you had but felt alone in thinking it. Sometimes, hearing a person say out loud the words that have been silently floating around in your headâ¦erases the doubts that clogged up your mind.”
I looked back at the door Rudy decorated and then over at the crowd again. I pointed behind me. “I think walking into a bookshop is like walking into a partyâone filled with people you've never met, but who are dying to meet you. They only want you to like them. They're not going to judge youâ¦like you do them.”
Ethan winked at me from where he and Summer stood in the back. I met Mom's eyes.
“I'm so excited my mom has decided to open this bookshop here in town, and that basically, she's arranged a party you can join anytime you want to. I hope you'll come to it. I hope you'll make some new friends.” I glanced around at the crowd one last time and smiled. “I hope you'll learn to be an open book. All your insides are what truly matters. That's where the stories wait. In the underneath.”
Everyone was silent. Their cheeks and noses red from the cold. Their breath hovering above them. White word bubbles with no words. Someone started to clap. I turned to see Rudy, smiling just enough to show a chipped tooth, his hands coming together strong and loud. Everybody else joined in.
Heat prickled the frozen parts of my face. Mom came rushing toward me, Ollie in tow. Her face had fresh tears on it, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't faking her smile. She gave me a massive hug.
“I'm so proud of you, Opal. Dad would be bursting at the seams.” She squeezed me harder. “Thank you for everything. For all your help, for all your surprises, and for helping me see things through your eyes. You are such a beautiful gemâinside and out. It's why we named you Opal. Its definition is exactly you.”
“The definition of an opal?” I asked. I thought of the common, worthless potch.
Mom nodded. “It's from the Greek word
opillos
.”
I pulled back to look at her. “I was named after a Greek word?”
Like
Aura? The goddess of all things bright and beautiful?
“Yup. Didn't we ever tell you?”
“No. What does it mean?”
“All seeing.” She wiped her eyes. “It's true. You have a special gift for seeing things in an extraordinary way⦠Just like you said, in the underneath.” She kissed my forehead, grabbed my hand, and motioned to the crowd. “Come on. Let's get this party started.”
Jollyolly:
Dear Opl, Did you ever notice that if you blow in Mr. Muttonchops's face, he gets mad, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head straight out the window?
Opl:
GO TO BED, OLLIE!
GET UP, GET GOING, GET HEALTHY!
Do you want to learn to cook like Opal? Or maybe you want to keep your body healthy and strong. Join Opal and embrace food for your lifestyle. Here are some great places providing the tips and tricks you need, including fun recipes, family resources, organizations and more.
For Kids:
Jamie Oliver
(Many of Opl's recipes were inspired by YouTube videos from Jamie's Ministry of Food!)
Let's Move!
America's Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids
We Can!
Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition
nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/
Chop Chop
ChopChopKids is an innovative nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and teach kids to cook real food with their families.
Ingredient
The magazine for kids curious about food.
For Teachers & Educators:
FoodCorps
A nationwide team of AmeriCorps leaders who connect kids to real food and help them grow up healthy.
The Edible Schoolyard Project
The Edible Schoolyard Network connects educators around the world to build and a share a Kâ12 edible education.
Food Play Productions
Turn kids on to healthy habits with national award-winning theater shows.
Teen Truth Film Series
(specifically Body Image)
For Parents:
Parent Further
A Search Institute resource for families.
Joslin Diabetes Center
The world's largest diabetes research center, diabetes clinic, and provider of diabetes education.
American Diabetes Association
National Eating Disorder Association
1-800-931-2237
Stop Obesity Alliance
Talking to your children about weigh and health.
Center on Media and Child Health
Nurturing Children's Health & Development in Media-Rich Environments
My heartfelt gratitude to: Jennifer Unterâit's a privilege to call you my agentâSteve Geck, editor extraordinaire; and the ingenious team that is Sourcebooks. A huge thank you to Abby Murphy, whose sharp eyes and kind words were the first to nudge this story into place. One to Han Nolan for taking the time to dish out encouragement and valuable guidance. And one to Emma Dryden tooâthe editorial fairy godmother every tale desires. I owe a score of profound thank yous to Rheaâmy personal Aura. Lastly, massive hugs to Gabe for asking all the questions and to Chloe for providing all the answers.
Shelley Sackier is an author and blogger who writes about the everyday ordinary grand slams and gruesome snafus in completing the Herculean task of raising two healthy human beings. Ultimately she hopes to impart the necessary knowledge of how to balance their checkbooks and pay their taxes. Her greatest hope is to discover that parallel universes are a reality, and that somewhere she is living a life where her children have agreed to occasionally make eye contact with her. They live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
You can read more of her work, illustrated by Robin Gott, at
peakperspective.com
.
Thank you for reading
!
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