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I was looking through a box of old stuff recently, and came upon an old engagement calendar -- the Winnie-the-Pooh Engagement Calendar from 2002. I got these for Christmas several years running, and then they seem to have stopped producing them. Alas! They were lovely, with wonderful quotes from all kinds of Pooh-related media, as well as the classic illustrations made famous by Ernest H. Shepherd.
I wanted to share a quote from that was included in that calendar, which really strikes a chord with me. This is from The Te of Piglet, by Benjamin Hoff.
What's cool about this is that size really makes no difference when it comes to character, spiritual strength, or hidden potential. Piglet is always worrying about being an animal of very small size, and yet we see that he is the one who often steps out and accomplishes things, in spite of being afraid or feeling small. That's why he's my favorite Pooh character, maybe. That, and the fact that he is adorably cute. ;-)
This also reminds me of some passages of Scripture, that talk about how the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength, and how God's grace is sufficient, for his power is made perfect in weakness.
I wonder if Piglet ever saw his weakness as an opportunity to step out and unexpectedly be strong? I'm sure it helped him to know that he had an encouraging friend like Pooh who was always there for him to cheer him on. :-)
That just seemed like a good thought to share on a grey rainy Monday -- stepping out in virtue, even when we feel small!
I wanted to share a quote from that was included in that calendar, which really strikes a chord with me. This is from The Te of Piglet, by Benjamin Hoff.
Te is pronounced DEH. In classical Chinese, it is written two ways. The first joins the character for "upright" to the character for "heart." The second way adds the character for "left foot," which in Chinese signifies "stepping out." Its meaning is virtue in action.
Te is not, as its English-language equivalent suggests, a one-size-fits-all sort of goodness or admired behavior that can be recognized as essentially the same no matter who possesses it. It is instead a quality of special character, spiritual strength, or hidden potential unique to the individual -- something that comes from the Inner Nature of things. And something, we might add, that the individual who possesses it may be quite unaware of -- as is the case with Piglet through most of the Pooh stories.
Piglet, we believe, is the Pooh animal best suited to demonstrate the transformation of Virtue into Virtue That Steps Out.
Te is not, as its English-language equivalent suggests, a one-size-fits-all sort of goodness or admired behavior that can be recognized as essentially the same no matter who possesses it. It is instead a quality of special character, spiritual strength, or hidden potential unique to the individual -- something that comes from the Inner Nature of things. And something, we might add, that the individual who possesses it may be quite unaware of -- as is the case with Piglet through most of the Pooh stories.
Piglet, we believe, is the Pooh animal best suited to demonstrate the transformation of Virtue into Virtue That Steps Out.
What's cool about this is that size really makes no difference when it comes to character, spiritual strength, or hidden potential. Piglet is always worrying about being an animal of very small size, and yet we see that he is the one who often steps out and accomplishes things, in spite of being afraid or feeling small. That's why he's my favorite Pooh character, maybe. That, and the fact that he is adorably cute. ;-)
This also reminds me of some passages of Scripture, that talk about how the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength, and how God's grace is sufficient, for his power is made perfect in weakness.
I wonder if Piglet ever saw his weakness as an opportunity to step out and unexpectedly be strong? I'm sure it helped him to know that he had an encouraging friend like Pooh who was always there for him to cheer him on. :-)
That just seemed like a good thought to share on a grey rainy Monday -- stepping out in virtue, even when we feel small!
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Date: 2008-09-29 07:21 pm (UTC)From:And how funny that you are having a grey rainy Monday, because that is what we in SoCal are having too. I'm not sure where all this rain and thunder is coming from, but it is the first rainy day we've had for many months. It is a real surprise! Wish you were here and we could have tea together and I'd play my harp for you and we could snuggle in and talk and talk (and giggle too!)
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Date: 2008-09-29 07:34 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-09-29 10:16 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-09-29 07:32 pm (UTC)From:I still have the Pooh desk calendar from 1997. The day our town and home flooded, the picture was of Pooh riding in an upside down umbrella and the quote was about rain. Even though our flood was from snow, I found the coincidence a little unsettling. (The calendar, by the way, was at my office, a few miles outside town, which did not flood.)
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Date: 2008-09-29 08:10 pm (UTC)From:I've read the Te of Piglet and the Tao of Pooh. Nice little books.
I think I'm something of a Piglet in life. I feel rather small in the world sometimes. But that friendly encouragement works wonders!
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Date: 2008-09-29 08:15 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-10-01 12:31 am (UTC)From: