Thursday, June 30, 2011

A Safe Place

Sanctuary

 Webster's definition: 

 A place of protection; shelter

 Lemony Snicket's definition: 

A {small} safe place in a dark troubling world.

~ ~ ~
 Literature is filled with 'sanctuaries' and there are many different variations. From countries like Narnia and Hobbiton, homes such as the Burrow (the Weasley's house), schools like Hogwarts and Xavier's School for the Gifted, and a family, like the Cullens.

These sanctuaries or as I call it, Havens of Safety, are what every reader wants to be in. Why though? What about these places make us want to dive into the pages and surround ourselves with the wonder and delight of these far off places?


 ~ ~ ~

Narnia


A place of magic, mystery, and wonder. Also a place where you go when you least expect it. The beautiful land of Narnia has captured, delighted, and enthralled, readers of all ages for over 50 years. C.S. Lewis' creation of this extraordinary world has pulled at the hearts of many who have gone into old wardrobes and knocked on the back, hoping for snow to come through. Or look at pictures of ships on the sea and imagined the water moving, longing to be taken in completely.

Narnia is a place where children who are lonely, angry, scared, or just plain misfits can find their place. They find strengths they didn't know they possessed  and courage to overcome their greatest weaknesses. First they must overcome the battles within themselves to be able to fight the war that has come to overtake Narnia.

With the exception of Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy, every time we enter Narnia it's under attack. A country of talking animals, fauns, satyrs, nyads and dryads, walking trees, mystical water gods, and a great lion all under threat of invasion.

It is a country worth fighting for. The Great Lion who breathed life into it, breathes hope into the ones who fight to defend it. 


~ ~ ~

Hobbiton
 

The ideal country living. Small, peaceful, and out of harms way. Which is what encouraged Frodo Baggins to do what others may have thought the impossible. It's the life within Hobbiton that is worth protecting and fighting for. 

A place where young boys dream of adventures or can't even find the courage to talk to a young pretty barmaid. Where great and powerful wizards come and celebrate the 111 birthday party of one of its most...controversial members of the community.

Hobbiton may have seemed little and insignificant on the map of Middle Earth, but to those that call it home then it's a completely different concept. Frodo and his friends dared to do the incredible (or just plain foolishness) and step out of its boundaries to keep all matter of evil out.

To protect and preserve the future for others, sometimes we must do the unthinkable to overcome the impossible.


~ ~ ~

The Burrow
 

The Burrow, the crazy house belonging to the nine members of the openhearted Weasley family and the only home to Harry Potter. The red headed bunch were by no means a wealthy family and that definitely showed in the shabbiness of the house. Yet, the loud, loving, argumentative, opinionated, and warm spirit of the Weasley clan cannot be outmatched by any family in the series.

Magic as all over the house. From dishes washing themselves to owls delivering mail. The insanity and craziness of the place endears people to it. When the Burrow is set on fire in the sixth book, anyone could break down and cry.

Why would anyone want to attack this simple home?

Where love abides, hate cannot enter in. Where goodness flows, evil cannot rise.

The Burrow may have been attacked, but within its confines comes an incredible strength and courage of all those who battle hate and evil.


~ ~ ~

Hogwarts


 For over ten years children who are about to turn 11 eagerly wait outside and watch carefully for a snowy white owl carrying a parchment letter telling them that they're going to a very special place.

Not really.

And yet, with that said, for over ten years people have been captivated by Howarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Those who have always felt different, strange, and out of the ordinary suddenly aren't so strange, unless you're Harry Potter himself...

For Harry who has always been a misfit, he now finds himself the most popular kid there, not like that's a good thing all the time. Harry and his friends come face-to-face with all sorts of odd magical beings. From ogres, unicorns, and house elves, to ghosts, talking portraits, and flying cars.

At Hogwarts, courage is more important than popularity. Books and cleverness can sometimes make for a lonely life, but when you reach out the hand of friendship, they can save you; and to find your place, you must first find yourself.

Who wouldn't want to live there?!

Harry and his friends battle evil from the very beginning, but in the fifth book, the ultimate evil, Voldemort, is back and Hogwarts, Harry Potter's shelter and safety, is under attack. Not if the students have anything to say about it. Harry and his friends create their own force to battle Voldemort and ultimately win in the end...with some help from the adults of course.

A school united will not fall.

By the end of the story, evil is defeated, darkness is vanquished, and Hogwarts still stands strong. Forever there in the mountaintops of Scotland, surrounded by miles of green grass that leads to the Quidditch field, sitting across from the glistening lake that brings new students into it's doors, and where courage is never a trivial matter. (Even if you do get points docked from your house.)

~ ~ ~

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
 

When I went and saw X-Men: First Class, I wasn't expecting much. I was basically going to watch James McAvoy for two hours. I left the theater with a completely different POV. Now, James McAvoy was worth the watch, but what I loved was seeing the beginnings of the school.

In First Class the school was Xavier's old home in Winchester, New York. He turns it into a training ground for the handful of mutants that he and the CIA have gathered.

By the time we reach the first movie that was done in 2001 it is a full fledged school that houses well over a hundred students who study physics and Roman history in the morning and after lunch are trained to walk through walls and create thunder storms. 

Similar to Hogwarts, Xavier's School provides safety and guidance to children who don't belong. In a world that wants to destroy mutants, the school is their one and only shelter. It too, also comes under attack in several of the movies. The school in the eyes of the students as well as their founder are worth protecting and they will go at any lengths to stop whatever evil, human or mutant, from taking over.

~ ~ ~

The Cullen Family


What safety can you find in a family of...vampires? Good question.

The same thing was probably running through Bella Swan's head when Edward brought her to meet them for the first time ("I would be the meal"...). Bella lucked out though. When she becomes the prey for a vampire who wants some fun, the Cullens jump into action to save her. It's pretty much like that throughout the series.

People have fallen in love with the Cullens. All of them beautiful, gifted, and dangerous. All of them with secret pasts they would prefer to keep secret. Their former human lives aren't worth revisiting and yet, not all are happy with their vampire lives. A life of constantly moving, always staying on the edge of things, never being able to grow old, always fearing what people may say or think.

Carlisle Cullen, the father figure and coven leader, literally creates his own family. His wife, Esme, was abused by her first husband and  tried to commit suicide after her infant son dies. His oldest son, Edward was orphaned when his parents died of Spanish flu, the same flu that almost killed him.

Rosalie, his first daughter, he found on the streets of New York after her drunk fiance and his friends gang raped her and beat her until she almost died. Emmett, the second son, was found by Rosalie after he was attacked by a grizzly bear.

Alice and Jasper joined the family later on. Alice lost all her human memory and woke up in an insane asylum and Jasper, a former Civil War hero, has a shady past of recruiting young vampires for wars only to kill them when they were no longer useful.

Yeah, I would have my reservations too. Throughout the Twilight Saga the Cullens prove themselves over and over again. They would lay down all they had (because life isn't an option anymore) to protect people who care nothing about them.

Bella finds within this strange and unusual family safety, comfort, and protection. Each Cullen has their weakness, but their strengths (and I'm not just talking about Emmett) are so much greater. Bella learns about compassion (Carlisle), generosity (Esme), honor (Edward), caution (Rosalie), loyalty (Emmett), kindness (Alice), and courage (Jasper). Such qualities under one roof and guided by a trusting leader can make for such a successful living.

~ ~ ~

So a sanctuary can come in many forms. It can come in an imaginary country, a school for gifted children, or an unusual family. I agree with Lemony Snicket that it's a safe place in a dark and troubling world.

Wasn't that what the Baudelaire children were looking for? A safe place? 

It took 13 books and 13 danger filled foster homes for the children to come to the realization, why don't we create our own sanctuary; our own home?

And that's exactly what they did.


- Ivy

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Just Like You

"When I grow up, I want to be just like you."
-Gael
The Chronicles of Narnia-Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010 motion picture)

~ ~ ~
With the addition of Gael  in 2010 release of CON: VotDT, people had mixed reviews about her. 

"She's so cute!

 "She wasn't in the book!" 

 "She's completely unnecessary to the movie!" etc.

 Say what you might about her, I thought she was an interesting add. When I saw the movie for the first time, I thought it was nice to see a shy little girl walking behind Lucy, idolizing every move she makes. Then when it came to the scene where they're getting ready for the battle, the sweet little girl says something to Lucy that almost brought me to tears.

"When I grow up I want to be just like you."

 Now, why would that mean so much to me? 

 Because I've had young girls say it to me.

I worked in a before-and-after care program at a private Christian school for a year. The age groups I was with were K-5th and so I saw a lot of diverse group of children. Needless to say, because I was a very young, and very inexperienced teacher, I somewhat endeared myself to a lot of the children, especially the girls. 

It was a few months after I was working there, that I was talking to a group of second grade girls, when one of them said, "Miss Ivy, I want to be just like you when I grow up."

I thought it was a very sweet of her to say so, and I think I remember several of the other girls agreeing with her. To have a young girl say that though, is an incredible thing! I realized that I was somehow, someway, influencing the lives of these girls. So much, that they wanted to be 'just like me.'

I don't think in this day we give much though to who we influence. Of who is watching us. Or who wants to be like us. I don't know what I did or said to have the girls want to be like me. Was it because I liked playing games with them? I helped them with their homework? I would let them help me with preparing snack? Or because I would just sit and talk to them?

Regardless of the what the reasons might be, the point was, I was making a difference in someone's life. Just like Lucy was with Gael. Even though she told Gael, that she should be herself, she may have realized that she had invested in Gael courage, dignity, and faith that would help Gael find who she was later in her life.

Because society tends to age segregate, we tend to look down on younger girls as annoying inferiors. Now, I have two younger sisters. Molly is 14 and Emmy is 12 (today actually! Happy Birthday!)

So, it's not that I'm accustomed to having younger girls following me around. I like it when Molly and Emmy have the same interests that I do. I have just never understood the idea that is someone is younger than you, they should have no importance in your life. I beg to differ.

I loved being with the young girls in before-and-after care! I loved knowing that I was special in their lives. And even though I don't work there anymore, I know that there will still be girls out there waiting and watching for a good role model for them to pattern their lives after. Often times, all it takes is a kind word, a meaningful gesture, a comforting arm, or just a genuine interest in there lives.

If you show a glimpse wonder, they can reveal the entire picture of who they are and who they want to become. 

And maybe it might just be...you.

Love from, 

-Ivy

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Lucy's Song: Further Up and Further In

When the darkness seems never ending
And evil has taken the upper hand
Only The Lion can give us courage
Together we fight and defend His land

Further up and Further In, He'll call us
As He leads us to His home
Further Up and Further In, We'll follow
The dream has ended, morning has begun

We will climb mountains and we will tread waters
Going Eastward and ever on
Kings and Queens, and Lords and Ladies
Seek and search the glorious Sun

Further up and Further In, He'll call us
As He leads us to His home
Further Up and Further In, We'll follow
The dream has ended, morning has begun

When the Great Lion stands in the doorway
Between a world ending and a world unknown
There we'll be, standing right beside him
Led by Faith in him alone

Further up and Further In, He'll call us
As He leads us to His home
Further Up and Further In, We'll follow
The dream has ended, morning has begun

~ ~ ~

You've probably guessed that I'm a really big Narnia fan, judging by the two pictures of Lucy I have on the left side of my page. There is plenty to work with when it comes to the world of Narnia! This is one of two poems that I've written. I've also written one complete fan-fiction, in the process of finishing another, and already have another one planned! That's a lot, but I love it : )

And writing fan-fiction has also helped me with ideas for my own fictional work, but it might be a while for those ideas to become concrete. Maybe one day... 

Love from,

 Ivy


Saturday, June 25, 2011

First Post

So.... This is my first post. Always the most nerve wracking part, in my opinion.

Anyway, a little about my online life. I got a Xanga in late 06' and I only got it for writing a Narnia fan-fic. People started reading my story and eventually my site became very popular in the spring/summer of 07'. By the time fall rolled around, the popularity died and so did the site.

A got a couple more sites and the same thing happened with them. Then about a month ago, I came across several blogger sites, that featured stay at home daughters. This intrigued me, seeing as I'm staying at home and helping with my family business, and I started going to them. Well, I enjoyed reading them so much that I finally decided to get my own site and here I am.

I love, love, love writing! I have epilepsy and so that can impair my speech and my ability to say what I think. Writing is my outlet. Whether it's writing stories or posting my favorite songs.

Oh, about my name "Time Will Reveal"

It comes from this song "Dance My Dreams" from the 2004 movie, First Daughter.

Tamia - Dance My Dreams
Spinning, twirling, flying away
Memories guide me from yesterday

Time will reveal my destiny
So why should I fight
What's right for me?

Chorus:
I'll live, I'll breathe
I'll dance my dreams

Hold me, kiss me
Look through my eyes
Know me, feel me
No more disguise
So why should I fight
What's planned for me?

Chorus

Take my hand
Dance in my world
As I live, I breathe
I dance my dreams
Tomorrow will be mine
Today is ours
I will never let go
Until time unwinds
Today I have just arrived


I guess you can say it's a good title for me. I really have no idea what's in store for me, and I don't think many girls my age do. Letting God in his own providential time reveal his plan for me, is the best thing that I can do.

So, that's a little about me : )