Article by Joanna Buoniconti, Staff writer

It is a well known fact that we live in a society that caters to instantaneous
pleasure, and most of us are guilty of becoming aggravated when something
doesn’t pan out exactly as we had hoped. Children are particularly notorious for
being impatient. Patience does not come naturally, similar to most traits it is
something that needs to be instilled within those who hold the future of the world
in their grasp. Local author Kara L. Benson’s book, “Be Patient Little Raindrop,” is
not only wonderfully written and illustrated but also chock full of valuable
lessons that will become an adored addition for all the young readers in your life.
The book begins with a depiction of a white cloud and a raindrop, that rests
inside of the cloud. Impatient, the raindrop demands to leave the safety of the
cloud at several points; meanwhile the cloud assures the raindrop that its time
will come. The cold came and one day when the skies grew very dark, the cloud
announced to the raindrop that it was time for it to go. The moral of the story
becomes clear when the cloud explains that everyone has a bigger purpose in life,
and that the raindrop is not meant to be a raindrop but rather a snowflake!
A heartwarming entrance to the writing field, this is Benson’s first book which
she wrote about ten years ago, but recently created new illustrations for. As a
working mother of three, she understands how hard it can be for mothers to
balance home life with a career. She has encountered this struggle with her own
writing and has taken a break in order to start a family, yet it remains something
that she has never given up on and encourages other mothers to chase their
passions.
“It is never too late to pursue something you love. I think that we get caught up in
work, family, and laundry; and we kind of forget there’s a lot of other passions
that we have on life. This [writing] is a passion of mine and just because I took a
break from it doesn’t mean that I, or anyone else, can’t get back into doing what
you love.”
In fact, the idea for this book stemmed off Benson’s own lack of patience towards
certain experiences in her life. Children have a hard time learning patience; and
she wanted to make the book accessible to teaching children the concept by
centering it around a storyline that is all about fulfilment and having patience
until we can find our place in this world. Life is all about perspective, and the
belief that we all will have our snowflake moment at one point or another.
Kara Benson’s book can only be purchased online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Makes a great Holiday gift!