My all-time favorite childhood book is "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" by Laura Numeroff. I find myself quoting this book on a day to day basis. It has a very important tale and message. For those who are not familiar with this book, it is about a little mouse who visits a young boy's house and asks him for a cookie. The boy proceeds to give him the cookie and then ask for more and more things from the boy until he has reached full circle and ends with the mouse asking for another cookie. The mouse is not satisfied with the one kind gesture the child gives him and keeps asking for more and more things. I believe the moral of the story is to be grateful for kind gestures and not take advantage of people. It follows the old saying of "you get what you get and you don't get upset."
      This is a very challenging concept to teach to kids, it is even hard for adults to fully grasp this concept. This story plays on our desires as humans and as a society to keep craving and wanting more and more. Sometimes it seems as if there is just not enough material mater to satisfy us. We have to learn to be happy and grateful for the little thing and accept what it is that people are offering without the constant need of wanting more.
      Although this is a short and sweet children's book I believe that its message and tale can carry on throughout our lives. Every now and then ask your self the question am I being the mouse who keeps asking for more? Think about how the child, man, woman, animal, and even nature is feeling when we keep demanding more and more. At some point there will be no more left to give and we will regret not being grateful for the little treats we were once given that are now gone.