Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 | By Kaye | In
The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
A brother from church, Bro. Gene, shared us this story two Sundays ago and it touched the very core of my heart. Somehow, it fitted right in with my life experiences and my spiritual journey. Well, it truly blessed me. So, for those who haven't got an inkling about what I am talking about- ' The Story Of The Velveteen Rabbit ' is a classic childrens' story from 1922 by Margery Williams, written with such heart and wisdom which I think benefits children and adults alike.
It perfectly defines the true meaning of beauty, character and the path to being genuine or 'real' . I think it is a timely reminder for all of us especially in this day and age where too much emphasis on outward appearance is very much promoted and encouraged.
HERE'S THE LINK TO THE WHOLE OF THE STORY >> http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html
Do read it all and I hope you'd find your nugget of wisdom hidden somewhere...
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
A brother from church, Bro. Gene, shared us this story two Sundays ago and it touched the very core of my heart. Somehow, it fitted right in with my life experiences and my spiritual journey. Well, it truly blessed me. So, for those who haven't got an inkling about what I am talking about- ' The Story Of The Velveteen Rabbit ' is a classic childrens' story from 1922 by Margery Williams, written with such heart and wisdom which I think benefits children and adults alike.
It perfectly defines the true meaning of beauty, character and the path to being genuine or 'real' . I think it is a timely reminder for all of us especially in this day and age where too much emphasis on outward appearance is very much promoted and encouraged.
HERE'S THE LINK TO THE WHOLE OF THE STORY >> http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html
Do read it all and I hope you'd find your nugget of wisdom hidden somewhere...
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