Journal entry by Loretta Beyer — March 6, 2021

“Winnie the Pooh and the Hundred Acre Woods,” written by A.A. Milne, has long been a childhood favorite of mine.If you were to spend any time in my piano studio, you would find two vintage drawings of Pooh on the wall given to me by my husband, Daryl.

The Pooh books were written by Milne, a United Kingdom war vet, as an attempt to explain the terrors of war to his child, Christopher Robin.

He and his son visited London Zoo, where they fell in love with a supposedly ferocious bear named Winnipeg, who was somewhat reclusive and shy. Milne purchased a life-like stuffed teddy bear for his son and based the story series on Christopher’s menagerie of stuffed animals, resulting in a delightful cast of characters that have filled the lives and imaginations of many.

Come with me to the Hundred Acre Woods for both a fun and philosophical romp.

Piglet represents paranoia, with his constant stutter, squeaky voice, and incessant fretting. He is always trying to fix this and make peace, but seldom succeeds. What if we were to begin trusting and enjoying, rather than always suspecting the motives of everyone else? That is a tall order, but, with incremental steps, it is gradually possible.

Rabbit is the ultimate perfectionist, attempting to control everything and everyone, but often ending up having his perfectly planted rows of vegetables destroyed by the more energetic characters in the story, like Tigger, who bounces in, oblivious to any of that, destroying Rabbit’s plan of a well-executed harvest.

If only Rabbit had “chilled” and lowered his impossible standards, he might have been able to have his friends help him in his endeavors. I can certainly relate. Life teaches us to slow down, “smell the roses,” and appreciate the gifts in each of our friends and turn them to everyone’s advantage.

Owl is the perfect stereotypical example of a stuffy old professor, caught up in an esoteric, academic world of their own, often removed from reality, pontificating at length about nothing. Most of his lectures trail off into nothing. Have you run into anyone of that ilk, loveable as they may or may not be?

Eeyore represents a “glass-half-empty” perspective, with all its failings. His predictable negative response to anything in life, including what should cause celebration, such as receiving balloons for his birthday, is almost humorous. He is always losing his tail, his way, and his joy. What if Eeyore had tried to turn his “trials” into a “blessing,” giving thanks for what he had, instead of always expecting the worst? Oh, the lessons we could glean from that donkey.

Tigger exudes exuberance and functions by impulse, which most “type A” people can find disconcerting and annoying. What if we could incorporate a healthy dose of Tigger’s “joie de vivre” and let it revive our spirits?

I think the word “balance” is appropriate here, to have a little of the strengths of each of those characters, rather than focusing on their or our own weaknesses.

Kanga and Roo depict overprotection and perhaps a codependent relationship that is not always healthy between a mother and her child. The greatest gift a parent can give their offspring is to raise them in a secure environment and to interact with them in a healthy way that builds their confidence and allows them to become independent, well-functioning members of society who can continue the giving and nurturing cycle. That, my friends, is easier said than done, which is why a deep faith and a whole village is optimum to success.

Winnie is my hero because he claims to be merely “a bear of very little brain” who is “stuffed with fluff” and will take any help that is offered. He is the one with whom I relate best, although I love and appreciate them all!

Winnie is the one who represents the guide for Robin through this sometimes dark, intimidating, thrilling, and yet unknown entity of whatever lies down that trail of life.

What a brilliant creation in children’s literature that epic has become in the annals of history. I don’t begin to profess to have any professional expertise in Pooh stories, nor its philosophical ramifications, and all I have shared is strictly my opinion, so take it for what it is worth.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the stories, but, as an eternal child, as we should all seek to be in one sense, and who should endeavor to stay young at heart, we should remain open to the creative, imaginative, and delightful, whether literal or figurative.

It takes a village, and I am grateful for that, and so many more examples from which we can glean, grow, and benefit from one another in life.

This column is published posthumously with permission from the family. Missionary kid Loretta Beyer grew up in Zimbabwe. After graduating college in the U.S. with a degree in music and psychology, she joined her parents in Alpena, because of terrorist warfare in her African home. Over the last 40 years, she has made Alpena her place of ministry.