I came across a post the other day that listed mantras for someone going through a hard time or high anxiety. Some seemed helpful. Most, like "This Too Shall Pass" has a their theme "hang in there, things will get better".  True. And mantras are good, as we know.

Here is my mantra: "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh". It is an Allan Sherman's song from 1963. The song is a letter written by a boy at summer camp to his parents. He writes from Camp Grenada after his first day. He says "Camp is very entertaining/and they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining."

Things are not so great. Poor Joe Spivy has poison ivy. Leonard Skinner got ptomaine poisoning after dinner. The lake has alligators and the counselors hate the waiters. His bunkmate has malaria and for Jeffery Hardy they are organizing a searching party. Poor little boy, he hates Grenada and begs his parents to take him home, promises he will not mess the house and will even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss him.

And then of course, this:

"Wait a minute, it stopped hailing,

Guys are swimming, guys are sailing,

Playing baseball, gee that's better,

Muddah Fadduh please disregard this letter."