Bridge To Terabithia

A local conservatory theater produced
"Bridge To Terabithia" this spring.
The closing performance was last night.
I love live theater,
a friend's daughter had a major role,
and my friend was the costume designer,
so I went.
For those of you who may not have read the book
or seen the movie or play,
I won't spoil it for you,
but it is a sweet, funny, and very sad
little story about coming of age
and learning about life and death.
Fantasy gives way to reality,
but in the end,
the joy of life returns
taking over fear of loss and sorrow -
and even a bit of the fantasy remains.

It was an appropriate play for me to see

at this particular moment in my life.

As I put grief and sorrow in their proper place,

I admit to being a bit fearful of another hurt.

I truly feel as if I would not survive one more loss.

But I know that is not true.

For loss is part of life.

And we do survive it!

And risk is part of life.

As my daughter so wisely stated,

careful is fine,

but one cannot find happiness

if one refuses to risk.

So here I go!
Risking it all!
One more time!
And my heart is smiling!

Sometimes it seemed to him that his life was delicate as a dandelion. One little puff from any direction, and it was blown to bits...

"When my husband died, people kept telling me not to cry. People kept trying to help me to forget. But I didn't want to forget..."

"Everybody gets scared sometimes, May Belle. You don't have to be ashamed..."

It was Leslie who had taken him from the cow pasture into Terabithia and turned him into a king. He had thought that was it. Wasn't king the best you could be? Now it occurred to him that perhaps Terabithia was like a castle where you came to be knighted. After you stayed for a while and grew strong you had to move on. For hadn't Leslie, even in Terabithia, tried to push back the walls of his mind and make him see beyond to the shining world—huge and terrible and beautiful and very fragile? (Handle with care—everything—even the predators.)

Now it was time for him to move out. She wasn't there, so he must go for both of them. It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength.

As for the terrors ahead—for he did not fool himself that they were all behind him—well, you just have to stand up to your fear and not let it squeeze you white.

Right, Leslie?

"Right."

                                                      ~~ "Bridge To Terabithia" 

                                                                by Katherine Paterson ~~

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~