Lessons I have Learned from Anne Shirley
12:04 PM
Hello all!
My dear friends Grace and Katherine Avender are having an Anne of Green Gables blog party these last few days of July! I highly recommend that you go check out their blog, Maidens of Green Gables. They have loads of fun posts!
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| Button for the party :) |
I wasn't sure if I would be able to participate, but then on a whim I dug out my DVD of Anne of Green Gables (the SE version, you know) yesterday. As I was re-watching this favorite, I started compiling a list of "lessons" that I've learned from my favorite literary heroine.
*pats poor Anne awkwardly*
1. "Scrapes" are life's entertaining
How many times have we messed up and then laughed afterwards?
It took me quite a ways to get to the stage when I could laugh at my silly mistakes without dying of embarrassment.
^^ my literal mental reaction half the time
But, especially in my blogging experience, "scrapes" make for the best stories. Sharing those embarrassing mistakes really helped me to grow as a person.
2. Poetry is to be appreciated
I never really understood the power of poetry, or poetry as an art form, until I first watched Sullivan's Entertainment version of Anne of Green Gables. To this day, "The Lady of Shalott" remains one of my favorite epic poems.
By the way, you can see an actual dramatic recreation of Tennyson's masterpiece (not one marred by a leaky dinghy) in the video below:
3. Love may take you unawares
I think Anne and Gilbert's romance is one of the most well done in literary history because of it's realism. Let's be quite honest, sometimes the girl hasn't a clue what a perfect guy for her looks like. It should be an ultimate reminder that God is the only perfect matchmaker :).
4. Always label things - especially old bottles of something
Getting drunk on currant wine is not an experience that I wish to partake in. Nor do I really want liniment in my cakes. Smells and visuals don't always help either. So for the sake of yourself and others, label things.
5. Always keep a bosum friend
Whether we admit it or not, every woman needs a sister. Not necessarily a natural born sister, but a soul sister - one that can understand, scold, and love unconditionally. The ones that we spill to. The ones that we can let our hair down and be the craziest versions of ourselves with.
Every Anne needs a Diana. Like Anne, I never had a natural sister....much to my eternal chagrin. But, I was blessed with many close friendships with other girls and women. While I consider many fellow Catholic women my "sisters" (the quotes are quite necessary), there is only one that has Diana's role in my life. And I'm sure you know who that is. *winks*
6. It's okay to a little....unconventional
What town would be half interesting if we didn't have odd characters running about?
Would Anne be so lovable if she didn't have her crazy quirks?
I highly doubt both.
I dare say, as a rather odd person myself, that while you may not have a score of friends trailing behind you, someone will like you for being yourself.
7. Thrilling names lift up the ordinary
A pond can never be a pond when it is the "Lake of Shining Waters." Am I right?
I've always been a lover of names, but whether Anne instilled that into me....I will never know. Surely, the fact that I believe that names with a meaning make it so much more special can only come from our starry-eyed heroine.
8. Appreciate the beauty of the surroundings
A little bird song lightens the soul. The sight of tall mountains inspires us to go higher. The wide expanse of the ocean reminds us of our littleness.
God uses beauty of nature to prod us little humans, if we can only see it. I think Anne certainly knew that.
9. Spelling really does matter
That "E" makes all the difference sometimes. You wouldn't think that adding or dropping a little letter like that one would, but it does!
Take for example:
Catherine Hawthorn vs. Catherine Hawthorne
I actually have a small irritation when people add the "e" at the end of Hawthorn. While I realize that the actual surname has an "e" at the end, I actually took this name from the actual tree, which doesn't have the "e". With the fact that "Catherine" has an "e" on the end, the other "e" just seems too extra.
10. Sometimes you just need to fill the silence.
While silence can be great from a spiritual sense, there are certain times when silence can be maddening. Like when you're trying to soothe an awkward situation over. Or you're so nervous that it must spill out before spinning your brain.
And that concludes the post!
And now I wish to hear from you! What lessons have you learned from Anne Shirley? Which is your favorite version of Anne's story - the books, the Sullivan Movies, or the mini-series Green Gables Fables? Tell me all in the comments below!
Scribbingly yours,
Catherine
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9 comments
I love this post so much! I'm feeling really nostalgic now. If I didn't have a huge readathon lined up for August, I'd probably go do a reread of Anne of Green Gables. But alas, it'll probably have to wait until the fall. *pouts*
ReplyDeleteI might blog about it, but I'm kind of hoping to actually do a vlog series? Maybe? It's a readathon that Jules and I are hosting over on Instagram called the Realmie Readathon. Basically, we're hoping to read through as many of the books we purchased at Realm Makers as possible during the month of August. That's about seven books for me. I think it's close to 11 for Jules (maybe?). So I'm going to be booked during August, terrible pun intended.
DeleteThe books are for sure my favorites! Some of the only books I've ever cried in, and I was sooooo sad when I finished the last book. There's certainly lots to be learned from them ;)
ReplyDeleteketurahskorner.blogspot.com
J+M+J
ReplyDeleteOH OH OH!!!! *jumps up and down*
How did I not see this???!
Ehem, anyway... *straightens black fedora and nods respectably*
What I meant was... I didn't sea this post somehow, and I'm glad you remarked on it in your end of the month post or I would have missed it completely.
And the reason being for my... ehem... slightly excited comment *looks away innocently*, was because I absolutely love Anne of Green Gables!
Why? Well, I really don't know, especially being that I'm a gentlemen, it really doesn't make the most sense, but the fact remains that I do. In fact, I liked it so much that I didn't stop at the first book (which I had to read for school) and I read a couple of the sequels... though I confess that is a series I have yet to finish.
Yes, I agree quite heartily with all your lessons!
1. Yep, very true... they're also around to make us realize who we are and to humble us if we get to flying too high....
2. Yes, I love poetry... though I can't attest to having read anything epic. I should though, I really should!
3. Couldn't be more right, maybe the fact that it's so real is why I love the story so much! It takes a common-place kind of scenario, and yet makes an intriguing story out of it! (Which is something I have never been able to do) And yes, generally we all look for perfection in each other, and it takes a lot of self-control and humility to realize that we will never find someone who is perfect, as we're all human.
4. Haha, yeah labels are generally a good idea.
5. Yep, that's true with everyone I think, we all need someone to fall upon. Whether it's a sibling, a friend, whosoever, it's important. I know I wouldn't be standing right now without some of my lifelong friends, though, haha, ironically, I'm not standing at all at the moment: I'm sitting....
6. As to being odd? Well... yeah, I know what that's like.... As to someone liking it? *raises one eyebrow* Not so sure about that, but perhaps!
7. Yes yes!! In fact, our family named a little valley we have at the side of our yard "The Valley of Death" (or more particularly, the poetic nuts of the house did) because we lost our Ginnies to a predator there in one day.... And it makes the place now such a memory-like place, and perfect place to go down and write in! (If I could ever get myself too....) Haha, I could write of life in the valley of death....
8. Yes... are you getting tired of me saying that? Sorry... I just agree too much to say no...! I don't know about you, but sometimes the beauty when you step from your doorstep is just so breathtaking, that you can't help but lose yourself in it....
9. Yes it does, I completely agree! I can totally see what Anne is getting at there, Ann isn't nearly as poetic/romantic as Anne... really, truly, and honestly!
10. I suppose... though I don't ever find silence maddening, usually more like depressing if anything. Generally though I could use more silence in life, not less.... :)
I definitely like the books more, though the movie is really good too!
(Sorry again for the lengthy comment, I felt inclined to go down the list of points and comment on them all, perdón....)
The Doorman.
She's such a fun character.
ReplyDeleteYES ANNE. <33 Such a wonderful character. I heartily agree with all the things you've learned from her. :-)
ReplyDeletedaaaawwwww love you too sis! Even though none of us are in any way similar to Diana (as that quiz we took proved :D) We are bosom friends through and through!
ReplyDeleteLia
Anne is and ever shall be one of my dearest fictional friends! Loved this post, Catherine. :) (And the Lady of Shallott is one of my favorite poems, too, much thanks to Anne! I'll have to check out that link...)
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! Anne is one of my favorite literary heroines. :)
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