The first book that made an impact on me was the
Velveteen Rabbit. I appreciate this story because like the boy I have my own velveteen rabbit. His name is woof-woof a stuffed dog I had recieved when I was born. Woof-woof was everything to me, my best friend, my security guard, my pillow, and my punching bag. As years went on his eyes got scratched, his fur fell out, and he had to be sewed back together atleast 3 times. Even though the underlying theme of the velveteen rabbit was complex I understood, once you are loved it doesn't matter how you look or how old you are because you are perfect to them. The only way to become real is to be loved. This message still resonates in my mind from time to time as I apply it to the people in my life, especially my family. I no longer carry him wherever I go, or cuddle up with him in my bed, but he will always mean the world to me. Even though woof-woof is now raggedy and worn and a little smelly, he will always be my first love.
I used to love that book! Your description of Woof-woof is so cute, it brings up old memories for me. I think we all have that stuffed animal we can't imagine getting rid of; it really makes you think about how hard it is to hold on to memories from early childhood as we grow up.
ReplyDeleteI have a stuffed animal just like that (named kittty, aka road kill), complete with multiple patching jobs and a little stank to him. That book resonated just the same with me-it's great that you understood how important love is from such a young age, and how you always come back to that. This is definitely a great book choice.
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