Cottages and Fairy Tales

"Fairy tales were not my escape from reality as a child; rather, they were my reality -- for mine was a
world in which good and evil were not abstract concepts, and like fairy-tale heroines, no magic would
save me unless I had the wit and heart and courage to use it widely."
Terri Windling


 I love sweet little dwellings with flower boxes, and open windows.  I often wonder if  I fancy these little abodes as they were definitely a backdrop for many fanciful stories I read in my early years.  Cottages whether made of large stone or random planks of wood, call to my creative spirit.  All of them seem to be somewhat known to me and I feel a yearning for a stay of solitude.

A trip through the woods to grandmother's house or the gingerbread house were not happy experiences.  In both fairy tales, the children were scared to death and surely suffer from post traumatic stress disorder to this day.  So why is a little cottage a symbol of comfort to me?  It seems so conflicted.

As I ponder this subject, and compare it to my eclectic nature, I come to realize that my drive to overcome hardship involves a vivid imagination.  Changing the creepy cottages of my youth into blissful places to reside, gives me a sense of security that goodness will prevail.  The changed cottage symbol gives me hope that things will not always be as bad as they are.  I believe in the resilience of childhood to propel us into a life of safety, respect, and honor.

In my little cottage, I will be a creative eccentric putting a delusional spin on a previous sad tale.  I will be writing my story in complete detail, but in a language of illusion to protect the history carved into my soul.