Now I want to find Gerald McBoing-Boing, Julie! I will bring it home to my Little Bean and let her celebrate uniqueness in a world that is trying to make everyone conform.

As for a book that made a difference in my life, this is going to sound crazy, but... I was raised with books all over my house, read everything I could, and have a hard time saying that a single one changed my life. However, one story from my childhood stuck in my head and my heart: Gerald McBoing-Boing by Theo Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss). Because Gerald didn't fit in, at all, and yet he discovered his value in the world. I spent most of my growing up feeling like I didn't fin in, at all, and yet I looked for my value -- believing deeply it had to be there. Even the seemingly lighthearted books can convey important messages that we absorb and that can carry us through.

Thanks, Ann.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Lisa.

Thanks, James, for sharing your story. Young and horribly sick in a foreign country... what a nightmare!