I was moved to tears by one section he quoted, sitting right there at work, and the message was so powerful for me I knew I had to share it. So I searched Amazon and found a clean but loved 5th edition copy of the book and ordered it. Everything about it was exactly as I remembered it.
In re-reading this wonderful story for the first time in many years, I was struck by the realization that really great children's literature isn't just for kids. The best stories have levels of meaning, so experiencing this story as a young child means one thing, yet it still has incredible impact for an adult on a completely different level.
This is the section Mark referenced in his posts. It happens just after the beginning of the story, when the Velveteen Rabbit is talking to the oldest and wisest of all the toys in the nursery, The Skin Horse.
If you substitute the word "someone" for "child," and change "real" to "loved," the message is a compelling one for the adult world. Our contemporary society puts so much importance on beauty, newness, and even perfection as things that will make you "loved." But this story defies that logic, and rightly so. I says that when someone really loves you, outward appearances don't matter, because everything we perceive as proof of our imperfection is really a sign of how deeply we are loved by people in our lives. It's a message desperately needed out there in the world - especially now.
So the next time you worry about having a little misplaced stuffing, some missing hair, or some less than perfect features, think about the Velveteen Rabbit. And remember that being REAL is a pretty wonderful thing.
This is the section Mark referenced in his posts. It happens just after the beginning of the story, when the Velveteen Rabbit is talking to the oldest and wisest of all the toys in the nursery, The Skin Horse.
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day....
"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...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....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 often happen to people to 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, your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
"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...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....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 often happen to people to 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, your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
If you substitute the word "someone" for "child," and change "real" to "loved," the message is a compelling one for the adult world. Our contemporary society puts so much importance on beauty, newness, and even perfection as things that will make you "loved." But this story defies that logic, and rightly so. I says that when someone really loves you, outward appearances don't matter, because everything we perceive as proof of our imperfection is really a sign of how deeply we are loved by people in our lives. It's a message desperately needed out there in the world - especially now.
So the next time you worry about having a little misplaced stuffing, some missing hair, or some less than perfect features, think about the Velveteen Rabbit. And remember that being REAL is a pretty wonderful thing.
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