David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Eeyore?s Very Bad Day? A Powerful Message of Acceptance Through the Lens of ?Winnie The Pooh?
by Kate Daigle
December 14, 2012
Growing up, I spent many giggly hours watching ?Winnie the Pooh? and reading the books about Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl, Roo, Kanga, Christopher Robin, and all of their friends. As an adult, I look at these stories and realize the powerful messages they send us: unconditional love and acceptance, the beauty of simplicity, that we are all unique and different. The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet offer extended meditations on these lessons of peace and understanding.
Today I re-watched one of my favorite episodes, Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore. The psychotherapist in me couldn?t help but focus on the different roles adopted by the characters as well as the humanity in the story. This particular episode centered on Eeyore, the gloomy donkey with a rain cloud perpetually hanging over his head. Many of us, myself included, can identify with the sadness and despondency that envelopes Eeyore each day. Perhaps there is a part of you that really relates to this. Do you allow this part to have a voice? Do you push it away and try to ignore it because it feels consuming and dreary? Do you judge it and tell it that it doesn?t belong? These actions are the very thing that Eeyore fears. . . that being himself is too heavy for anyone else to love or accept.
When Eeyore goes to hide away and isolate, Pooh goes to find him and try to understand why he is so gloomy that day. Pooh, finding out it?s Eeyore?s birthday, goes to round up his friends to bring him gifts and celebrate. Of course, things go awry (Pooh, unable to control himself, eats the honey that he was bringing for Eeyore, and Piglet trips on his balloon gift and it pops). In the end, all of these characters, who might represent parts of ourselves, sit down at a table and celebrate Eeyore?s birthday. Giving Eeyore space, love, acceptance, attention, and not trying to change him in any way ? these actions allowed Eeyore to feel safe and enjoy himself after all. He found that the popped balloon fit better in the (empty) jar of honey than it would have it it was still intact ? showing us all that sometimes when things don?t go as planned, they actually turn out better. The silver lining of an unpredicted experience.
Who are the parts of you? Do you have a Tigger ? a part that struggles to focus or commit, sometimes says or does the wrong thing but is lovable just the same? Do you have a Piglet ? a worrier who wants everything to be okay but doesn?t always know the answer? Do you have a Pooh ? a thinker, with great ideas, a peace-keeper, also lovable for his faults? An Owl ? wise, knowing, but overcompensating for not being perfect? An Eeyore ? gloomy, sad, despondent, brought to life and empowered when his voice is heard and validated? Can all of these parts of you sit down at a table and share a birthday celebration without judgment, exile or banishment?
As Pooh says at the end of this story: ?Everybody?s alright, really?. This is a very healing perspective on the essence of human nature ? after all, Pooh is the bear that can heal us all.
Take a look at the video yourself and share your perspectives on what Pooh and his friends can teach us ? as children, but even more meaningfully as adults.
by Kate Daigle
December 14, 2012
Growing up, I spent many giggly hours watching ?Winnie the Pooh? and reading the books about Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl, Roo, Kanga, Christopher Robin, and all of their friends. As an adult, I look at these stories and realize the powerful messages they send us: unconditional love and acceptance, the beauty of simplicity, that we are all unique and different. The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet offer extended meditations on these lessons of peace and understanding.
Today I re-watched one of my favorite episodes, Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore. The psychotherapist in me couldn?t help but focus on the different roles adopted by the characters as well as the humanity in the story. This particular episode centered on Eeyore, the gloomy donkey with a rain cloud perpetually hanging over his head. Many of us, myself included, can identify with the sadness and despondency that envelopes Eeyore each day. Perhaps there is a part of you that really relates to this. Do you allow this part to have a voice? Do you push it away and try to ignore it because it feels consuming and dreary? Do you judge it and tell it that it doesn?t belong? These actions are the very thing that Eeyore fears. . . that being himself is too heavy for anyone else to love or accept.
When Eeyore goes to hide away and isolate, Pooh goes to find him and try to understand why he is so gloomy that day. Pooh, finding out it?s Eeyore?s birthday, goes to round up his friends to bring him gifts and celebrate. Of course, things go awry (Pooh, unable to control himself, eats the honey that he was bringing for Eeyore, and Piglet trips on his balloon gift and it pops). In the end, all of these characters, who might represent parts of ourselves, sit down at a table and celebrate Eeyore?s birthday. Giving Eeyore space, love, acceptance, attention, and not trying to change him in any way ? these actions allowed Eeyore to feel safe and enjoy himself after all. He found that the popped balloon fit better in the (empty) jar of honey than it would have it it was still intact ? showing us all that sometimes when things don?t go as planned, they actually turn out better. The silver lining of an unpredicted experience.
Who are the parts of you? Do you have a Tigger ? a part that struggles to focus or commit, sometimes says or does the wrong thing but is lovable just the same? Do you have a Piglet ? a worrier who wants everything to be okay but doesn?t always know the answer? Do you have a Pooh ? a thinker, with great ideas, a peace-keeper, also lovable for his faults? An Owl ? wise, knowing, but overcompensating for not being perfect? An Eeyore ? gloomy, sad, despondent, brought to life and empowered when his voice is heard and validated? Can all of these parts of you sit down at a table and share a birthday celebration without judgment, exile or banishment?
As Pooh says at the end of this story: ?Everybody?s alright, really?. This is a very healing perspective on the essence of human nature ? after all, Pooh is the bear that can heal us all.
Take a look at the video yourself and share your perspectives on what Pooh and his friends can teach us ? as children, but even more meaningfully as adults.
