My youngest and I curled up today and finished the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo. It’s a story of a fragile, beautiful rabbit, who is treasured by his owner. The rabbit is exquisite, perfectly dressed and completely doted-upon by the little girl who owns him, yet he is spoiled, unfeeling, and entitled amidst his good fortune. He has no love in his heart and he only thinks of himself. Edward eventually embarks upon a journey of metamorphosis, becoming a broken, dirty, lost soul who learns the value of loving others wholeheartedly. The rabbit must be broken to become whole eventually, and he must become lost to be fully found.

It’s a story of heartache and loss, one of seeing simple joys, finding hope in the darkest of places, and ultimately, one of redemption. Both of my daughters loved it, and I am so glad I read it too, particularly during these trying times we currently face.

When we finished the book, my 7 year old looked up at me and said, “Mama, the soft parts live forever. They don’t break or disintegrate.” She was, of course, talking about Edward, a rabbit whose head and limbs were made of china and could easily be shattered, but whose body was made of soft fabric. And I echoed back to her, “Yes, the hard parts of us are the ones that break and need fixed, aren’t they?”

I don’t believe she knew she was being so profound, but I heard her little words going through my mind all day. Later, I opened social media and came upon a picture of a young guy cleaning out his restaurant before he had to shut it down for social distancing measures. He was sobbing, and at the end of the post was the following quote:

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places.” 

― Ernest Hemingway

My husband teases me that I see every book or movie I love through the lens of allegory. It is true, and I am definitely an English teacher’s daughter in that respect. The books I carry with me long after I read them are the ones of redemption, sacrifice or metamorphosis. More than that, I see my world through the lens of stories.

And oh, the stories we will have through this time in our lives. The hard parts of us, the hate and divisiveness and the unwillingness to work together, are being shattered, one way or another, aren’t they? The soft parts are going to move us to the other side of this crisis; kindness, love, gratitude, and acts of heroism and sacrifice will ultimately save us. Those are the stories that will stand the test of time. There are also so many new stories – businesses are finding new ways to become relevant and people are getting creative to lend a hand. Big changes will be born of this time period.

I think we all feel this shift in our history. These are unprecedented times. I think we’ve all begun going through a bit of a grieving period, and it seems we are grieving a collective reality we took for granted. We’ve had so much, haven’t we? I’ve been struck this week by how much I’ve taken for granted over the course of my lifetime. But more than that, I’ve been struck by a deep sense of gratitude these last few days for things that really matter; time with my family, slowing down enough to really think, being able to curl up and read a book in the middle of the day with my girls. Yes, this is difficult. Yes, we will suffer. But I can’t help but believe we are being broken for a reason in the end. It’s time to mend the broken pieces and rise stronger than before.

Hang in there, everyone. Stay home. Stay well. Be kind to one another and help each out wherever you can. Much love to you all.