“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.”
― Margery Williams Bianco, The Velveteen Rabbit
This passage enchanted me as a child. Now that I'm an adult, it still enchants me. "You become . . ." How
delicious -- how mysterious and evocative.
Lately I've been percolating. And steeping. And . . . being inconsistent with you. Please accept my apologies.
Going forward, you can expect consistent weekly or biweekly emails from me. For today, I wanted to reach out and say yoohoo!, I'm still here, still cookin', still . . . becoming. As, I'm sure, are you.
And as part of all that, I've been creating
something new for you. I'll be sharing more about it in the next 2 days. I'm so excited!
Stay tuned for another email from me right here and also keep an eye out on my social media!
Hint: It has something to do with the wisdom of the Skin Horse ;-)
P.S.
The photo above was taken by my godbrother and, with messy hair and
no makeup, it's very Real and I love it.