By Donna Lindquist
Friendship Philosophy based on Winnie the Pooh
“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” – A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)
Think about your group of friends, family members or people you interact with each day, and then consider some of the different characters in the Winnie the Pooh children’s books.
How do these stories help us relate to others and ultimately relate to God?
Let’s take a moment and study these characters and reflect on some of their main qualities. Do you see yourself in one or more of them? or do you know someone who does?
Winnie the Pooh: A simple bear that craves delicious honey and will do whatever it takes to find it. He interrupts your day, thinks only in the moment, and puts himself and others at risk.
• Focused on self and basic needs.
Piglet: A small pig who is fearful of his surroundings and relies on others for the simplest tasks.
• Focused on personal inadequacy, afraid of speaking up and feels inferior to others.
Rabbit: A busy rabbit who always has a task to do, and other tasks waiting. He is over-scheduled, overwhelmed and a perfectionist.
• Focus on staying busy but leaves many tasks incomplete.
Eeyore: A sad donkey who feels like no one cares about him and is often left out of most group activities. He feels he has nothing significant to contribute to the group.
• Focus on negative self-esteem and low self-worth.
Owl: A wise older owl that interjects bits of truth and wisdom to help his friends, but then leaves them to figure it out by themselves.
• Focus on knowledge and mentoring without any personal responsibilities.
Tigger: An excited tiger that bounces around the forest, exuberant about each new day. He will bounce around to encourage you to feel like he does.
• Focus on fleeting feelings, but desires for everyone to be happy all the time.
Now think about the boy in the story. What is his role?
Christopher Robin: The young boy who takes care of all these animals in the forest. He comes when things are going well, and when there is a problem. He encourages everyone to get along, helps them with their problems, and ultimately loves them all.
• Focus on learning to love all kinds of people and understanding that it takes everyone to make the world a beautiful place.
I do not know if the author of these books thought of God when he was writing these beloved children’s books, but I know he understood relationships.
God is ultimately about relationships. He wants to be your Christopher Robin. God desires to be there for all the good, fun and exciting times in your life, as well as the not so good times. God is love, and desires that everyone come to know Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
“Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.” – Pooh
“How do you spell ‘love’?” – Piglet
“You don’t spell it…you feel it.” – Pooh”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
