Frances Hodgson Burnett's tale of two selfish, spoiled, and miserable children is a hopeful one. A reminder to look past the bleak and difficult winter to the humble beauty of spring. The ever-cheerful Martha inspired me to learn how to skip rope to a hundred. Who didn't want to be friends with Dickon and his creatures. And their mother, Mrs. Sowerby sounds like the sensible and affectionate woman that I wish to be to my children. Even the grouchy characters, like Mrs. Medlock and Ben Weatherstaff seem to soften around the presence of the children's growing contentment and joy. There is hope that things will become brighter and happier when you work hard and forget to be selfish.
The rainstorm had ended and the gray mist and clouds had been swept away in the night by the wind. The wind itself had ceased and a brilliant, blue sky arched high over the moorland. Never, never had Mary dreamed of a sky so blue. In India skies were hot and blazing; this was of a deep cool blue which almost seemed to sparkle like the waters of some lovely bottomless lake, and here and there, high, high in the arched blueness floated small clouds of snow-white fleece. The far-reaching world of the moor itself looked softly blue instead purple-black or awful dreary gray.
"Aye," said Martha with a cheerful grin."Th' storms over for a bit. It does like this at this time o' th' year. It goes off in a night like it was pretendin' it had never been here an' never meant to come again. That's because th' springtime's on its way. It's a long way off yet, but it's comin'."
~Chapter 7, The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
I think I need to do a spring photo session with my kids in their wellies.
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