This is No Fairy Tale

I have a secret I don't want my kids to know. It's something I've actually been doing all of my life, but now they are involved.

I always read the last chapter of a book before I read its' entirety.

Wow, I can hear the judgment from here. But, here's the thing. When I read the last chapter, I can relax as I become the characters of the novel, which I inevitably do. Maybe it has to do with control issues, which I most certainly deal with, but no. I think it is something much deeper.

I think we all possess this deeper sense of desiring to know the outcome of our own soul. That's fair. It's pretty important.

So, here is where my kid's got involved. I am not much of a television series watcher, but they convinced me that the show Once Upon a Time would be worth it. Without spoiling anything, I can just say it is an epic journey between the real world and a deeper magical place.

The main character's belief system is paramount in what transpires.

I am nowhere near the end, but I can tell you (I hope my kids are not listening) I have indeed watched the final episode of the final series before even ending season one. (There are seven seasons.) It helps me watch their daily battles to know their outcome.

Here is my point for you today, dear friend.

Fairy tales are real. They are timeless, because they resonate deep, deep within our hearts of the real things that are going on underneath the minutia of any given day. We have our own monsters and ogres within and without that at times make us battle-weary. We desire our lives to have purpose and adventure - to know we are alive. All of these components make up the classic fairy tale.

C.S. Lewis once wrote to his niece,

"Someday, you will be old enough to believe in fairy tales again."

I guess I'm old enough, because I do. I hope you are, too.

To believe there really is good in the world. And, we have to wake up and make the choice to look for it. To believe there really is evil in the world. And, we have to make the choice to be aware of it. But, then most importantly, to believe there is a very happy ending to our own epic tale.

There is another epic story that is not 'magical'. It is more real than the letters you are looking at on this page. And, it is like the wind - it's there even though we don't see all of it. It has good characters and evil characters, and the good wins out in the end. But, this is the story, the real story, that has to do with my soul.

And yours.

I am the real character in this novel.

And, so are you.

It is the most read book in the world.

And, I am so happy I can read the end of that story - my story - your story. It helps me relax with the daily battles to know the outcome will be most factually good.

My belief system is paramount in what transpires.

Maybe I am okay with my kids knowing the truth about me. After all, who doesn't like a good story?