William Shakespeare has been a family muse ever since our daughter was introduced to his plays. Katrina was around 10 years old when the opportunity arose to take her to see The Tempest and Macbeth at a local park. I was a little concerned that she might be too young, but she had always been years older than her age, so I took the chance. Not only did she understand the plays, she fell in love with Shakespeare. She had already been in love with theater, but THIS was, in her mind, pure magic, and she had to know all about the grand magician who authored these plays. Every summer since then she has had a love affair with Shakespeare, at first performing, then directing, then producing, and finally creating her own theater company that she named, “Goodly Creatures”, in honor of her favorite line in the The Tempest, “Oh, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world that has such people in ‘t!”
Now, it is impossible to think of our Katrina without thinking about Shakespeare, as though they have become the same person, and I find myself quoting Shakespeare on a regular basis. One of my favorite quotes is “All is well that ends well.” I find it reassuring during times of crisis because it reminds me that any crisis is not the whole story; it’s just the climax, not the ending. For any problem, human condition, or experience, one can easily find the perfect Shakespeare quote to describe it, which is why his work is universal and timeless. He understood like none other what it means to be human--to be tempted and corrupted by power, to be innocent and easily duped, to be rich or poor, the king or the peasant, young or old, a man or a woman, and what it feels like to be in love. Still, his words speak to us. Still, Shakespeare makes us laugh and cry and reflect on our own lives as we look into the mirror he holds out to us from his stage.
The English-speaking world quotes Shakespeare so much that we are not even aware of it. He lives in our vernacular. In fact, when I was teaching Shakespeare to college students, way back in my youth, one of my students announced that she hated Shakespeare because he used nothing but clichés. I had to explain to her that Shakespeare was the original author of those expressions. I’m sure she was not the only one who did not know that.
Katrina is all grown up now, and she has many other muses in addition to Shakespeare. In fact, she herself has become the muse for many, including me. She has become a remarkable writer in addition to all her theater talents. She also teaches British literature, theater, and film at a local high school. Her students are the luckiest on the planet to have Katrina for their teacher, and if they have not figured that out yet, I’m sure they will with hindsight.
As her father and I prepare to celebrate her birthday this weekend, we cannot help but look back on all the great moments we have had with Katrina, and we feel honored to have been in her captivated audience. With Katrina, there is never a boring moment. She inspires us 24/7, and just like Shakespeare, she makes us laugh and cry and re-examine the meaning of our lives.
If I were to give Katrina any advice for her birthday this year, it would come straight from Shakespeare’s pen, “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” But, she already knows that. So, all I can say is Happy Birthday, our dear Katrina! Your father and I are grateful for every moment you have shared with us. We love you and your magical world beyond words. We are sure you are building a brave new world that has such goodly creatures in it. Certainly, the world is already a better place because you are in it. We are so proud of you! And, no doubt, Shakespeare is too. May you be blessed with grand adventures and happy endings, always.
Photo Credit: Sebastien Goldberg
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