Stories with Books

Of Thee I Sing is a small read. It is a collection of many tiny letters by Obama, addressed to his daughters, where each letter starts with “Have I told you that…”

I believe that in the form of such affirmations like “You are wonderful” and “You are creative”, Obama actually tries to tell his daughters – and us – that in actual, we need to be wonderful and we need to be creative. A meticulously beautiful way!

Along with such affirmations, one also finds mention of famous historical figures like Helen Keller and Abraham Lincoln, who were American and with their capabilities, did something impactful and meaningful. The way is simple: first Obama names the quality one should have; then he mentions someone who portrayed that quality; then telling us how or in what way that quality was shown to the world.

Without waiting, he moves on to the next quality, concluding with “Have I told you that I love you?” Beautiful!

 

A list of affirmations and messages from OTIS:

1. You are wonderful
2. You are creative
3. You are smart
4. You are brave
5. You are a healer
6. You have your own song
7. You are strong
8. Honor others’ sacrifices
9. You are kind
10. You don’t give up
11. You are an explorer
12. You are inspiring
13. You are part of a family
14. Be proud to be American
15. America is made up of people of every kind
16. They are all a part of you
17. You are one of them
18. You are the future
19. I love you

 

Personalities mentioned in OTIS:

1. Georgia O’Keeffe – one of America’s best known artists
2. Albert Einstein – US citizen since 1940 – Nobel prize winning physicist
3. Jackie Robinson – first African American to play major league baseball
4. Sitting Bull – Sioux leader who spoke out and led his people against many policies of the US govt
5. Billie Holiday – one of the difining singers of Amerian popular music and jazz
6. Helen Keller – author and activist
7. Maya Lin – artist and architect, best known for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC
8. Jane Addmas – social reformer dedicated to helping children, eradicating poverty, and promoting peace (second woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1931)
9. Martin Luther King Jr. – icon of the civil rights movement (Nobel Peace Prize, 1964)
10. Neil Armstrong – aviator and astronaut who became the first person to walk on the moon
11. Cesar Chavez – leader of nonviolent movement for the rights and dignity of farmworkers, using techniques such as strikes, boycotts, and fasts to implement social change
12. Abraham Lincoln – sixteenth president of the United States, famous for freeing slaves in the Confederate states
13. George Washington -  President of the Constitutional Convention, first president of US

 

My favorite Quotes

1. Turn fear to respect and respect to love.
2. “For peace, it is not necessary for eagles to be crows.”
3. “Public places should be filled with art, she thought/so that we can walk amidst it,/recalling the past and inspired to fix the future”
4. “¡Si Se Puede!” Cesar said. “Yes, you can!”