The Gift of Stories
"Laura felt a warmth inside her. It was very small, but it was strong. It was steady, like a tiny light in the dark, and it burned very low but no winds could make it flicker because it would not give up."
-Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Long Winter
My children often remember what Laura said and did when she was afraid and when times were hard. When they experience their own trials in life they think of Laura, of Pa, of Ma, of Mary, and of Mr. Edwards.
They call to mind how they persevered, called on the Lord, and overcame whatever they faced together.
They remember how they came together as siblings, as husband and wife, as a family, and as a community.
They have learned in and through these beautiful stories perseverance, faith, hope, love, and to count it all joy in all circumstances.
They have learned to find value in what matters most and fix their eyes on those things.
They have learned more in the pages of these books than they could ever be taught in a textbook and I am so grateful for this gift.
These stories change us!
They change our hearts, they shape our characters, and they help to form who we will become.
They store up in us and can be recalled at any moment to give us the grit and determination to go on.
The Playful Pioneers cultivates all of these special moments with our children as we learn and grow alongside them. While they think of Laura or Almonzo, we mamas can recall to mind how Ma and Pa persevered in times of uncertainty.
What a gift this time is to learn and grow with them as we read stories of those who have gone before us and have run the race well.
More Literature for Building Grit and Perseverance-
A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Little Britches by Ralph Moody
The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit
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