I am not a fan of the novel, Alice in Wonderland. I have to confess that I have never read it in its entirety. There has never been a draw.
Alice in Wonderland was written in 1865 by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice falling though a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar creatures. It is considered to be one of the best examples of literary nonsense genre.
The Hatter is a fictional character who appears in the first novel, as well as its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. The Hatter is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though, this term was never used by Carroll. The phrase “mad as a hatter” pre-dates Carroll’s work.
The Hatter has many non-sensical quotes. However, there is one that is worth the read. It is this:
“When you can’t look on the bright side, I will sit with you in the dark.”
I thought of this quote when I was with my mama over the weekend. There are moments that she does not like my (usually, not always) sunny attitude. I try to be positive with her. I tell her she looks beautiful when she smiles (a REAL smile, that is). I tell her she is blessed that she sees her children every week. I tell her the Lord has been faithful to her, in spite of her life not turning out exactly the way she may have hoped.
Even when Mama was more mentally healthy, she used to tell me I was naive. Perhaps.
I understand that it can be annoying to feel blue and low and be around someone who is bubbly and seemingly unaware of the reality, or at least the reality of what the blue person is feeling.
When Mama, or for that matter, anyone I care about, can’t look on the bright side, I will sit with them in the dark.
I, too, am acquainted with the dark. Thankfully, I am also acquainted with dear ones who “sit” with me in the dark. You know who you are.
The Hatter knew about the bright side and he knew about the dark. I believe Alice learned those sides, as well.
When you fall through a rabbit hole, very few things are neutral.