The Best Way to Be Loved Into Realness

An unusual writing exercise

A few months ago, my local Christian writers' group encouraged us to participate in an unusual writing activity during our monthly meeting. We were to bring in stuffed animals (to be donated to children visiting the hospital where we always meet), and we were to write about, or to, those stuffed animals.

An LCW Toy Story

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Since I was going to be bringing my kids (and my husband) along with me to the meeting, I thought it would be a good idea to bring several stuffed animals with us. Not only could I declutter some of the (what seems like) thousands of stuffed animals we have in the house, but we could perhaps also bring some happiness into the lives of some other children.

I picked out a few animals I knew the girls weren’t too attached to, and which still looked like they were in decent shape.

My ten-year-old daughter picked out one of her own she wanted to share — one she hadn’t had very long, and it was special to her because it was a gift. It had been given, and she had received it, in love, and she wanted to share that love with someone else.

Her action touched me, and it sparked something creative within me. I chose to use her stuffed animal donation to help me complete my writing exercise.

The letter that stuffed animal wrote to/through me

Your daughter got me last Christmas, and she’s loved me ever since then. But then you asked her to part with some of her animals so other children could have a friend when they needed one at the hospital.

You know how that is, don’t you? That little old black and white bear you had for years was one you got when you were in the hospital. Someone thought you needed a friend. And they were right. You loved that old bear for a long, long time. You spilled maple syrup all over its soft white tummy at breakfast one day. Your mother was angry. Do you remember? She thought that syrup would never come out. And it didn’t really. The stain was still there, but you didn’t care. You loved that bear… and you hugged all the softness right out of it, just like the little boy loved the coat off the Velveteen Rabbit.

Maybe that’s what will happen to me one day. One child who really needs me will love the softness right off of me. And that will be okay, because then I will be real, just like the bunny in the story and your bear in real life. That’s the most anybody can hope for…to be loved into realness, and to return and share that love with others.

I’m grateful your sweet girl is giving me that chance.

And that farewell letter inspired a poem

I don’t generally write poetry, so the ease with which this flowed out of my head surprised me.

Loved into realness; I’m glad God let me be.
The softness has been worn down. But now, even better I see.
If I hadn’t been worn down; if I hadn’t been broken in two
He couldn’t have made me into anything new.
The world says I’m ugly; not worth very much.
But He says something different with His tender touch.
I am loved; I am beautiful — no matter how I feel.
Because God’s wonderful, reckless love has made me truly real.
And now that I know God’s love has made me real
I can share that love with others, so they, too, can heal.