The Velveteen Rabbit

I admit I all-too-often shorten the bedtime "routine". Tonight was one of those nights when I just wanted to get the kids to bed and get back to my own projects.

My son had chosen one of those books - one of the books that is far more text than photos and takes a good 15-20 minutes to read. I prefaced by saying we weren't going to read the whole thing. Luckily for us, I changed my mind 2 or so pages into the book. Yet another life lesson - if I'll just get my expectations out of the way, I'll see how beautiful each moment can be.

That being said, I'd like to share one of the parts of the book that inspired me to keep reading...and to keep thinking about the story long after my son's eyes closed. I'm sure many of you are familiar with the story of the Velveteen Rabbit. But, like me, you may only remember it as "a good story", or the general story line. It, like so many other classic stories, holds wisdom that is quite appropriate for an awakened life.

During a conversation between the Rabbit and the Skin Horse (the oldest and wisest toy in the playroom), the Rabbit inquires about what it means to become REAL. The Skin Horse explains that "Real isn't how you are made, 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."

After a bit more explanation, the Skin Horse shares, "It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen 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."

My hope is that we each realize that we are all truly REAL.

Don't fear breaking, sand down your sharp edges, and love the loose, droopy, and shabby parts of yourself. Don't worry about what others think of you. Play HARD, know that the wear-and-tear off life - those things that are inevitable - don't have to cause suffering. The rough and tumble moments are part of the benefit of being REAL, of being alive. Take a li'l moment to smile and remember that childhood love that is a reflection of the magic all around us.