Religion

Life Lessons from Winnie the Pooh

Wallace Yovetich

Staff Writer

Wallace Yovetich grew up in a home where reading was preferred to TV, playing outside was actually fun, and she was thrilled when her older brothers weren’t home so she could have a turn on the Atari. Now-a-days she watches a bit more TV, and considers sitting on the porch swing (with her laptop) “playing outside”. She still thinks reading is preferable to most things, though she’d really like to find out where her mom put that old Atari (Frogger addicts die hard). She runs a series of Read-a-Longs throughout the year (as well as posting fun bookish tidbits throughout the week) on her blog, Unputdownables. After teaching for seven years, Wallace is now an aspiring writer. Blog: Unputdownables Twitter: @WallaceYovetich

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While we at the Riot take some time off to rest and catch up on our reading, we’re re-running some of our favorite posts from the last several months. Enjoy our highlight reel, and we’ll be back with new stuff on Monday, January 6th.

This post originally ran September 4, 2013.
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Your childhood is calling, it has some wisdom to share! Sometimes, when I go back and read old favorites, I’m surprised at how much good sense is packed into the books I read before I realized how important they were. The plots were always entertaining, but the life lessons lost on someone who had lived so very little life. Now that I am three decades in, quotes from childhood staples are surprisingly valid and poignant. Here are some of my favorites from A.A. Milne (creator of Winnie-the-Pooh and all of his friends).

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“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh?” he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”

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“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

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“Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.”

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“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

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“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

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“Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.”

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“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

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“Promise me you’ll never forget me because if I thought you would, I’d never leave.”

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“How do you spell ‘love’?” – Piglet
“You don’t spell it…you feel it.” – Pooh”

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“So perhaps the best thing to do is to stop writing Introductions and get on with the book.”
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