
Beachy Beach January Love Note
(originally published January 23, 2018)
Dear BB's,
The Little Engine that Could was ALWAYS one of my fave books as a kid. Although written around 1920 and used to teach optimism and hard work to children in the 30's I found a deeper meaning in it for me. I always cried when I read it when I was young not knowing that one day I could really relate to that little blue engine and it would be representative of my life.. I pulled it from the shelf the other night and once again cried while I read it to Jocey and Jett. As I read I found a different message tucked inside.
In a nutshell the story goes as presented with my take on it: A little red engine was carrying toys and food to the children in the village just over the mountain top when it found itself out of coal and at a dead stop!! The engine was worried about the little children waiting on the other side and was so in hopes that another train would come to help him. Along comes a bright and shiny gold engine and although plenty strong and big enough to help he felt that helping the engine was beneath him. He was made for bigger and more important things and could not be bothered. Next came a big sturdy black engine that carried big machines and once again felt that pushing an engine filled with toys was way below his pay grade.
Once more an old tired dusty engine sputtered up and after being implored to help, he explained that he was much too old and out of shape. He sulked off claiming …. I CAN NOT, I CAN NOT, I CAN NOT.
The poor Red Engine was about to give up when around the corner the most unlikely of trains comes cheerfully along. Once again the Red engine and all the sad toys and animals beg the blue engine to help them. The little Blue engine explained," I am not very big and in fact I have never even gone over the mountain." I was made to just switch cars out and am not designed for such a big task…..BUT and this is where the story turns for me…. The little blue engine that was the most ill equipped for the task looked with compassion at the Red Engine, He looked into the eyes of the toys and the animals and he thought of the children on the other side of the mountain and their disappointment. The little Blue Engine Fueled with the desire to help someone else dug deep and begin to chant. I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN!!!
Well you know the rest of the story he pushed and pushed and believed and believed that he could and he did. His new refrain was I THOUGHT I COULD, I THOUGHT I COULD, I THOUGHT I COULD. It is not always the best prepared, the most equipped that meets with success it is sometimes the most willing to go past our comfort zone and find a deeper why than just ourselves.
Most of my life my focus of this story was BELIEVING YOU CAN DO SOMETHING IS THE FIRST STEP IN DOING. What is stronger than this belief is the strength that becomes amplified when you are driven by the desire to help someone else. There is a special energy that we are given when we are fueled by a passion to make the world a better place. We find ourselves with not only more energy, but we find that others show up to assist us and shout to us….. I knew you could, I knew you could!!!
grateful,