"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?"
"Real...doesn't happen all at once, " said the Skin Horse. "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."
We were so enamored by this quote that we had a very talented friend paint this scene for our nursery. It was also read at Sam's baby dedication that we hosted in our back yard.
Our hopes for our children involve big things. We hope for them to be genuine people who love with wild abandon. We hope for them to be brave in matters that bring life and truth to their lives and to this world. We hope that they will have authentic personal faith that has been tried and found true in their own lives and not just in ours. We hope that they will teach us as they explore and grow and believe.
We hope for big things. As we hope, we realize that if just one of these dreams becomes true for our children, some degree of suffering will very well be a part of their lives as well.
So this quote was very romantic to us as we were expecting our first and even shortly after he was born. We thought we were so wise and discerning to have arrived at the idea that our children will endure trials and sometimes suffering in order to someday be strong and genuine individuals. We prayed that we would have the wisdom and self-restraint to allow them their struggles rather than to swoop in and rescue them at every turn. We knew so well back then that for them to become Real, they would have a long road ahead of them. We were honored to get to walk their roads along side of them but not for them.
Then they started growing...
Not very long ago, Sam confided in me a feeling he had of being excluded by a friend. It wasn't a huge deal, but something that left him with pretty hurt feelings. I thought I might crack and shatter the way a window does when hit by a small object. Hearing from him about how it made him feel felt like someone was squeezing my heart through their fingers. Our conversation was absolutely precious to me. It really was. I did everything I thought John Gottman of Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child would want me to do. I listened. We snuggled. I affirmed his feelings. We talked about what he might want to do if he feels like that again. It was a great connecting moment. But oh my heart hurt. I want to protect him from these days. I picture myself covering him with one arm while I carry him through the gauntlet of boyhood with the other.
Becoming Real. We believe the description in the story with all of our hearts. Becoming Real means that our hair isn't always going to be cute. We might come out pretty shabby and loose in the joints. It will hurt. People who don't understand might find us ugly. I can handle all of this for myself. Let's just be honest, "shabby" at least rhymes with the word I frequently use for myself! But it is another undertaking altogether as we fling our children out into the world to become Real. It hurts us worse! If I were to describe the fears I wrestle with for my boys I'd be committed to a hospital.
BUT! At the end of the day, I desperately want my boys to become Real. I do call it an honor to be the woman behind them as they encounter suffering on the road to Real. I welcome the conversations someday that will take all of my power not to lead but to listen as they share with me their latest take on the world. I pray for discernment as they grow into childhood issues that we did not have as children before cell phones, YouTube or Red Bull! I hope for them to look back and feel that their hearts have been encouraged by their parents and not defined.
Pray for us! Oh please pray for us!
All of this reflection comes from a funny little thing that happened last week. Ben carries around a friend named "Bunny". He goes everywhere w/ Ben. Bunny has all of our hearts. He's precious. Well last week while staying at the Grandparents' house, Bunny got his ear and tail chewed off by a puppy. Hearing about it over the phone from the boys was traumatic... for me. How could Ben not have his Bunny anymore? It was replaced by a BLUE BUNNY??? You can't just replace Bunny!
Well, it was a great lesson for me. One of the first things Ben told me was that he didn't cry about it. I got control of myself, wiped my face and told Ben how glad I was that he was okay about it. Then he told me that he still has Bunny but that he just has a new bunny too. Fine. Whatever.
Well Gramma sewed Bunny's head up without his ear and his butt up without his tail and he is a sight to see. But guess what. He's Real. Ben still carries him everywhere he goes, sleeps with him every night and loves on him like he's the most beautiful bunny he's ever seen. He's shabby to say the least. He's been hurt. He might be ugly to people who don't understand. But he's Real to us. And we're so thankful to have him as part of our family.
