Monday Break: Fairytales

“Fairytales were not my escape from reality as a child; rather, they were my reality – for mine was a world in which good & evil were not abstract concepts, & like fairytale heroines, no magic would save me unless I had the wit & heart & courage to use widely.”
-      Terri Windling

As a little girl I wholeheartedly believed in the tangible reality of fairytales. A somewhat strange and intrinsically unique child, I would weave and spin my own tapestry of imaginings so real I believed in their existence with absolute confidence. As soon as I was able to string letters to words, words to sentences, sentences to paragraphs these tales were stamped with ink on parchment. A Christmas Story was crafted each season and delivered with a tiny thrill. I reveled in the stir of emotions derived from transposing ideas on paper.

I have never quite gotten over my formative walks among imaginary worlds. As I grew these tales took on deeper shades and vibrant colors. I read the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in my early twenties and felt like a child again – all the wonder and excitement infused like a heady cup of tea.

My writings convey the beautiful sufferings of this world. I write a lot of sorrow and joy. Yet, there is a zest for adventure in my bones – a shaping in my minds-eye of the substantive certainty of Narnia, Middle-Earth, dragons, glass slippers, kindly lions, and quests worth uncovering.

Last month my sister and I traveled to Louisville to see Roger and Hammersteins Cinderella at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. I have been to several Broadway Performances, but had never been so enraptured by a performance such as this. As you all well know by now Cinderella, in any form, is my absolute favorite story. I have written several posts on this story alone. This experience (and that is exactly what it was) was palpable. Michelle and I talked about how it was good for our souls. We dreamed of season passes and resting our souls on a bit of magical wonder.

Fairytales speak to us. They don’t heal brokenness. No, they cause a dormant seed to bud. They call to that child who remembers to believe in dreams.

“When I examine myself & my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.” – Albert Einstein


“Fairytales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” – Neil Gaiman

Related Posts:
Not All Who Wonder Are Lost

I Found Beauty in Cinderella Quotes

It's a Real Fairytale sort of thing...

A Fairytale Story

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