The lovely Glenda Harrison of So What to Twenty has a beautiful and timely message to share with us today on being authentic. (For those of you using screen readers, the complete description of Glenda’s dress and accessories can be found in the alt-text in the accompanying photos).
“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.”
~Excerpts from the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The story of the Velveteen Rabbit is such a beautifully written, classic children’s tale. My favorite line – ‘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.’ Such a poignant statement. I’m reminded of a Winnie the Pooh doll my mother gave me as a child. I loved it so much it became Real. I held on to the Pooh and even passed it on to my sons. It didn’t matter that one of Pooh’s arms had been stitched back on, or his left eye was missing. They understood how real it was, and not ugly at all. Now the lovable bear is tucked away neatly for future off-spring to love.
To be Real is such a beautiful quality to possess, but yet, more often than not, it is avoided. This idea of being real often disappears when child-like wonder fades. Then we become what is expected – with sharp edges and all…untouchable and needing to be handled with care. While being real makes one more pliable, cozy, lovable and warm.
In honor of the Velveteen Rabbit, today I’m wearing a velvet dress – a soft, cozy velvet which wraps me in love. The cut, design and print of the dress speaks to my bohemian/art-driven side. The beautiful, flutter-styled sleeves make me feel like a fairy in a fantasy.
Outfit Details: Dress Courtesy of eShakti last year (Very similar styled maxi dress by Tallulah at Nasty Gal); Vintage 70s Jeweled ‘mood’ set: Belonged to my mother; Crystal Pendant Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft (beautiful selection of pendant necklaces at Nordstrom); Cross-body bag: Perlina via TJ Maxx; Boots by Tahari via TJ Maxx (found Tahari boots on eBay)
In a day when there’s so much hurt, suffering and the notion of being unbreakable is reverenced, I much prefer to be lovable, soft…Real like the Velveteen Rabbit. Which do you prefer?{wink}