But I can't live my life ~ In the interest of those ~ Holding me back when I'm stood on my toes ~But too many times I've been risking my life ~ Making decisions whilst trying to be nice its ~Better to make your mistakes than to live without knowing its ~ Better to fall on your face than to stay on your feet ~ Greg Holden "The Art of Falling"

"[By choosing] the easy choices in life--I think we could miss out on some of the greatest blessings that God has for us..." ~Michelle Duggar

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within. ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Driving down to the beach, I surprised the boys with the movie "Where The Wild Things Are".  We saw it as a family at the theater when it was released, but haven't seen it since.  It is one of our favorite books to read...and I am forever saying "I can eat you up I love you" to the both of them.  As the movie neared the end, we had stopped to get a sub.  Jonathan had gone inside and I sat in the vehicle with the boys.  I could see the tears welting up in Elliott's eyes....he was sad that Max was going to leave the wild things and thought Carol would not make it to say goodbye before he left.  He was sobbing at the end even though Carol made it on the movie he and Max "howled" to one another. 

It's moments like this that remind me that Elliott gets more than most ever will.  He gets the meanings, he gets the emotions, he gets what is real.  That is awesome as a parent to see your child achieve such an authentic sense of self....I pray they never lose that innocence and wild wonderment that comes with age and life experiences.  I hope they recognize the '"wild things" that represent parts of their lives. To see another way to manage anger instead of like Carol who likes to smash things too and doesn't know how to communicate his feelings. To work together like KW, to trust that you'll be protected even if you feel you are entering the mouth of a monster.  The moral is, usually, if we watch our bad behavior on film or see someone else acting like us when we are bad then it makes us have more insight and want to behave differently. That is what Max did. He realized though them that his family was important and his family would always love him no matter what. Supper would be waiting....and it would still be warm.

In the movie a parent can also experience a sense of loss of sorts...a moment when a film can take you back to childhood memories of make believe, monsters, and wild imagination....and then as Max did...sail away back to reality...to the land of "grown ups".  I am not exactly sure when it happens, when you start to give up the childlike ways of youth because we want to be independent and think we know it all.  Funny how, as you age, you earn to get back to the "throw your hands into the wind as you spin around on a merry go round".  How you want to go back to worry free days and when eannie meanie miney mo decided your biggest decision for the day.  And if you are one of the lucky ones, you find a way back to that part of your inner self, that part that still exists, and your life is reborn and you set out and sail to a world of new discovery.  It's then that the Wild Rumpus Begins!!

"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."~The Velveteen Rabbit

I read The Velveteen Rabbit to the boys tonight....a gift from Santa Claus......Oh how Elliott's eyes welt up with tears when the boy got sick as he must have been anticpating that hew as going to die, and then at the thought of the rabbit... being burned...his only comfort was the fairy who brought the rabbit to life at the end. But Elliott did not want his stuffed animals to become Real and leave him....so I spent the next 20 minutes consoling his tender heart....and we talked about how his stuffed animals on his bed were shabby from all his loving and then he looked at the foot of his bed and grabbed his Kitty (one I made him at Build a Bear) and said, I haven't slept with this Kitty in a long time.......That is Real ♥

Being a mom is my whole world!!  I didn't know how I was going to get through the end of the story as I could see that he was crying, his face red... and distressed trying to fight back the tears.....he said he wanted to have his toys forever!! I told him how lucky his toys were that he loved them so much. His Lions mane was tattered and the soft mane was now like dredlocks....from all his love! Of course he has probably close to 50 on his bed right now (we were trying to get him to put some back into the closet on the shelves)...but I think after this book he'll be adding more tomorrow!

♥ Once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always! ♥