I have been second-guessing myself a little. I decided to read Redwall to the boys, without remembering how violent it can get. It’s pretty intense stuff for bedtime reading. I love the peaceful realm of Redwall and Mossflower, but the warring bits are intense, and there’s that whole holy defense bit that makes me nervous in its approximation of a just war philosophy. On the other hand, for small children who are trying to learn to face their fears and anxieties, a tiny mouse facing up to a bully of a rat might be a good metaphor. This afternoon, One Small Boy said, “Hey Mom. If a Badguy came into our house, this is what I would do to it.” And he ran forward with a series of karate-like moves. He might bowl a Badguy over with pure cuteness, I’m thinking. Still, I found it interesting that Badguy is “it,” like a monster or a phantom, or a floating anxiety. I think we’ll keep reading the book, remembering to reflect on the way Matthias cares for his friends, on the Abbot’s refusal to mistreat even his enemies, on the way the mice work together.
Gratitude List:
1. Cool breeze
2. Constructing meaning
3. Reading with the boys
4. Getting to be the scholar
5. Zinnias
May we walk in Beauty!
Mockingbird Chronicles 