Man, if this house could talk, there would be tales to tell. A friend lent it to us a few years ago when Sam was not quite two and still toddling around like a drunkard. That pink slide seemed soooo steep, way too much to tackle, and just downright imposing. Now he has outgrown the whole contraption altogether. Heck, he walks right by it without even noticing it’s there, probably focused on dreaming up his next Lego creation to catch bad guys. Alas, a pack of Richmond spiders has moved in, staking its claim with enough webs to decorate a haunted house.
Back in its glory days, that little plastic house was his prized hangout spot, a launching pad for his over-active imagination. That little house has morphed into many things — it has become a fire station, pirate ship, police station, Rescue Hero command center, zoo, and burning building complete with a damsel in distress (me).
It all harkens me back to the classic children’s book “The Velveteen Rabbit,” about how toys can become “Real.” The book explains, “When a child loves you for a long. long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” This little house has been Real then, the real deal.
“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” So it’s time for the little house to go onto another home where another little kid will love it, understand it, and make it Real once again. Bon voyage, little house. May you have many more adventures and transformations. It’s been Real.
LibbY