I am reposting Sue Vincent’s outstanding blog post on children, reading, writing, and the depth of meaning that only Sue can truly understand and express. Her timeless wisdom compares to C.S. Lewis. Thank you, Sue. You have touched me and many others.
This is part of The Carrot Ranch outreach to honor Sue and all she has done for our blogging community. There are many was to participate, including a flash fiction contest. Please visit carrotranch.com for details. Let’s help to honor Sue.
C.S. Lewis understood the depth of meaning in children’s books. So did Margery Williams, author of “The Velveteen Rabbit.” And, so does Sue Vincent. She still reads children’s books, and so do I. This post gets to the heart of the story for every adult
A child’s tale
I had one of those ‘moments’ today as I passed between the bookcases in the bedroom. It is odd the things that make it through the veneer of calm acceptance. In this case, it was the characters in books… characters I had first met as I snuggled within the circle of my mother’s arms. Characters like Aslan and Reepicheep, whose stories I had read, decades later, to my own sons while I held them too in my arms… creatures to whom I had hoped to introduce my granddaughters too. But, of course, it isn’t really about the characters… it is all about the memories and the love in which they shared.
There is a lot of wisdom in books, and children’s books in particular have always held a place in my heart for the gentle wisdom they hold. Moments of pure gold are scattered through many of the best children’s stories, often missed for what they are when we encounter them as children, only to unfold for us in later years. Yet the stories that gain a hold on our hearts when we are young teach us a great deal… even if we are not aware of it.
They take us on adventures that run the gamut of emotion; facing dragons and monsters, discovering new and magical worlds full of goblins and fear, dread dangers and daring rescues… but they always seem to lead us to the happy ending bathed in light and laughter.
It was C. S. Lewis, the creator of the Narnia stories, who said that a story that could only be read by children was not a good children’s story. This, I think, is true. Often we only realise the full import of what is before our eyes when we read to our own children the tales that once lit our imagination. I for one still read them, though my children are long grown.
I was reminded recently of a passage from The Velveteen Rabbit. Now granted, when applied to the human condition it might not paint a very attractive picture as a proposition. Bits tend to ‘get very shabby’ as the years pass without any outside help, thank you very much, without the prospect of eyes and limbs simply dropping off. On the other hand, looked at from the perspective of, say, a teddy bear that has been hugged and cuddled, cried on, fed jam sandwiches and dragged around by one ear while listening to the secrets of the heart… from that perspective it sounds like heaven.
In the story, the Rabbit is being taught by an old Horse about the magic of becoming Real because of the love toys have been shown. Imagine what it would feel like to be loved so much that “most of your hair has been loved off”. Yet we shouldn’t have to imagine. We are all capable of being loved like that. Most of us know love from parent, friend, sibling, child or partner. Even our pets. We know how it feels. We know what it is to see eyes light up when we walk into a room… and what it is to be the one whose arms are sought in times of fear and sadness.
We can love ourselves too. The self-help books are full of the ways to do this and, though it is not as simplistic as it might seem, it is thing worth doing. That love depends on our ability to accept ourselves as we are, warts and all, as the saying goes. To recognise what needs to change without judging or recrimination. To accept what is good about ourselves too as well as what is not; something that cannot be done until we first learn to know ourselves, understand ourselves and then “…these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
To learn to know ourselves, shabby bits and all, and still accept is a step towards that unconditional love that cannot judge, though it sees true, that accepts without demand, that asks nothing but to be itself and give itself… to be love. You might call this the love of the soul for the child we are in its eyes. You might see it as the higher self, the conscience … it doesn’t matter what words we use, the idea is the same. There is a part of each of us that knows a finer level of being.
There is another love too. Many, myself included, believe in the divine Love of the creation within which we live. A Love that reaches out to us in measure that we reach up to It in awareness. For me, the life I live stems from this source and is therefore an expression of Love itself.
Like the battered bear, or a velveteen rabbit, that is squashed by the building blocks in the toy box, left out in the rain by mistake, forgotten, apparently, or discarded for a while … yet is searched for at night… we are loved. Life can be hard and painful, joyous and bright… and sometimes all at once. Yet if all stems from the source of Love then that too is part of our story, written to teach both our inner child and our adult mind as we ourselves grow and unfold. Woven with love our stories can yet seem to lead us through darkness. But perhaps, as we walk through them carrying the scars of life, we can learn to see them as ‘loved off’ fur and ‘loose joints’ … and know that the more we love and know Love, the closer we get to becoming Real in our own eyes. And “…once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.”
A Teacher's Reflections 
Sue’s writing draws us in. She is an excellent writer and blogger. Good choice, Jennie.
Best wishes, Pete.
She is, Pete. And I think this was one of her best posts. Are you participating in the Carrot Ranch flash fiction for her? I need to reduce the size of their photo…another techy challenge. 🙂
No, I am too involved with my serial for any other fiction at the moment. (And I have also started writing the next serial!) 🙂
I only know how to resize photos using Photoshop Elements, so I’m not much help there, unless you have that software.
I completely understand! The photo issue is not a big deal, Pete. Thanks for your advice. Best to you!
Try Pixlr for resizing. It’s free and works for me. https://pixlr.com/
This looks way too complicated for this non-techy, but I will study it. I wonder if it works on photos I have copied, like the carrot ranch one. Many thanks!
Thank you very much for sharing this post, Jennie, and for your kind words x
My pleasure, Sue. You are one in a million!! 🥰
<
❤
I too loved this post, one of Sue’s best. Thanks for sharing it.
I’m so glad!! 😀
I enjoyed reading this lovely post again, Jennie. Thanks for sharing it.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Robbie. Thank you.
Thank you, Sue… Sharing! 💞
She is magic! Thank you, Bette! 🥰
A very amazing posting! Thank you for sharing, Jennie! I love Sue’s stories, poetry and so much her fourlegged, ball addicted coworkers unique written experiences. Michael
I feel the same way about Sue (and Ani). Thanks so much, Michael!
A great couple! 🙂 Thank you too for mentioning, Jennie!
You’re welcome, Michael!
:-)) Thank you, Jennie! Enjoy your day!
😀
:-)) Have a beautiful weekend, Jennie!
Thank you, Michael!
:-))
Wonderful choice Jennie!
Thank you, Kim!
Thank you for sharing this heartwarming post, Jennie. It reminded me very much of my parents.
I’m glad it did. They must have read that book to you as a child. Thank you, Liz. This was one of my favorite Sue posts.
Perhaps they did. I don’t remember.
This is what Maya Angelou meant when she wrote that people will forget what you said and did, but will will never forget how you made them feel.
Ever since I read Angelou’s quote, I try to keep it top of mind as I go through my day.
Me, too. As much as I like quotations, hers is the only one I have hanging. I want to see it every day.
It’s a good way to start the day.
🙂
Such a lovely, thought-provoking post. Thanks for sharing, Jennie!
I’m glad you liked it, Becky!
Fantastic post. I related to it in a couple of ways.
First, I’ve never been able to care much about the YA genre categorization. Having teen or child protagonists never made the book uninteresting–as long as the book was well written. Red Moon and Black Mountain, Narnia, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Little House on the Prairie, The Hobbit–these have lost none of their appeal for me as an adult.
And the other thing is Sue’s focus on divine light. I’ve never considered writing anything but noblebright fantasy (basically, the opposite of grimdark). There’s something incredibly satisfying about affirming a certain nobleness of spirit that we all aspire to.
Go Sue, and you, too, Jennie, for coming out and saying this. I believe that in the end, if you wallow in mud, you’ll be unhappy with the result. Far better to build something beautiful, or at least to try. : )
Beautifully said, Cathleen! You are spot on.
She nails it so perfectly. I have to admit both a delight in reading and a cringe worthy envy that I cannot write like that!! Thank you Jennie for a reminder of a delightful post.
I know what you mean! I feel the same way. I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.
What an amazing post, Jennie. Thank you for sharing it. I could highlight so much of what she has written, and so eloquently and with so much wisdom. I was especially moved by the final sentences.
I felt the same way when I read this post. It was perfect. Question: was I supposed to send this to Charli, or were people posting their favorite Sue post on their own blog? I want to make sure I follow the rules on this.
What you have done is what I thought we were being asked to do. Regardless of the ‘rules’, you have shared an amazing post which is a wonderful tribute to Sue. I think this is what the parade was to be – a parade through the blogsphere. But that’s just my interpretation. I love your choice. 💖
Thank you, Norah. I thought I was doing the right thing, but since I’m a rule follower I wanted to make sure. I truly love this post that Sue wrote, and I’m glad you do too. You said it well, ‘a parade through blogosphere.’ 💕
We both love children and children’s literature, Jennie. There is much to love in Sue’s post.
Absolutely! 🥰
A lovely post of Sue’s Jennie and a wonderful way to participate in this community project at Carrot Ranch.. ♥♥
Thank you, Sally!
♥
Thank you for sharing this!
You are welcome!
This is a lovely post from Sue. Thank you for reposting this, Jennie. ❤
My pleasure, Miriam. It’s one of my ‘Sue favorites’.
I liked that, Jennie.
😀
Pingback: Sue Vincent, “A Child’s Tale” – جراقي جراقيات الكويت 99094651
Thank you, Sue!
Reblogged this on Redvince's Weblog.
Thank you.