Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support.
First, out of the 619 emails I have received to date, I would like to acknowledge the three or four of you who are not happy with what I have said. I am glad you felt you could be open with me about your feelings, because I really believe strongly in openness. It’s important for all of us to find acceptable ways to be true to our values.
Thank you to those who wrote to tell me about your own struggles, or about a family member who struggles with mental illness. Your stories are inspiring and I thank you for your courage in sharing painful parts of your life. Mental illness has such a stigma and is not widely talked about. I am glad if I have helped bring more awareness to the very painful, very widespread afflictions of addiction and mental illness that touch many families.
Thank you to those who wrote and thanked me for giving you an opportunity to talk with your families and children about mental health and addiction issues. Many educators and parents told me that making my struggles public has provided them with a “teachable moment” for open and honest dialogue about the struggles that families face.
Thank you to everyone who wrote and told me that you enjoyed my books as children and are now sharing them with your children or grandchildren. I am glad that reading them today brings back happy childhood memories for you and allows you to spend many joyous and magical moments with your own children.
Thank you to all the teachers who share my stories with kids on a daily basis. Thank you for being the guides who introduce children to the world of reading.
We all face our own challenges in life and it is the support of those who care about us that gets us through. Thank you for all your support. I really appreciate it.
Robert Munsch