Life Lessons from Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

 The mad hatter…the queen of hearts, and the mysterious Cheshire cat.

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland has been enchanting audiences for about 150 years…now that's some legacy.

So, why am I talking about the life lessons that Alice can teach in today's blog? As I was sitting the other day quietly, minding my own business, the mad hatter suddenly scampered into my head, and he took me crawling down a rabbit hole. Like Alice, I decided to follow the white rabbit, which led me back to the old childhood story. I saw some modern grandparent lessons that I obviously didn't see oh so many years ago with my re-read.

Alice in Wonderland is not a 2-minute read, but if you take the time, some essential lessons suddenly appear…just like the Cheshire cat.

The most obvious to me was that Alice is a child, and the world that she is thrown into is one you and I have become so comfortable in, an adult world. There are rigid rules that don't make any sense to a child. These rules are followed because that's how we "do" it. I hate to admit it, but most people adhere to those rules blindly now, without asking themselves 'why.' Open-mindedness appears to have flown out the window, which is confusing to Alice. Obviously, quite different from a child's world where anything is possible. What can we do to keep that awe and curiosity alive?

Speaking of curiosity, that is one "atta girl" I want to give to Alice. She took a risk, which obviously can be scary, just like crawling down the rabbit hole, but standing still can be more dangerous. Without taking a risk and challenging ourselves, we don't grow. You go, girl!

As she continues her journey, finding someone that doesn't like her and declares, "Off with her head," shows that life is not all smooth sailing, and the crazy obstacles one encounters may have no rhyme or reason. All occurs while the Cheshire cat questions everything about Alice's identity. He is not questioning her name or species; he is questioning her sanity. Wow, don't kids have enough to deal with in learning how to just grow up without someone questioning, questioning, and questioning? Dear Cheshire cat, let's help her have a chance to just be a kid.

Cheshire Cat

While Alice's adventure might seem mad on the surface, the most telling sentence comes from the Caterpillar, "who in the world am I?" Learning to accept who we are is one of life's great lessons, as is accepting the differences of others. Encouraging our grandkids to celebrate their differences and that of others will make life more exciting and opens them up to new worlds.

Alice did try to guide herself by giving herself some pretty good advice, though she very seldom followed it. By listening to our instincts and being a little more objective, we can help our grandkids apply the wisdom we give to ourselves and others.

By the time Alice wakes from Wonderland, she is armed with new experiences to help navigate real life. With the help of the parents and grandparents in her life, she can safely discover who she is, accept herself, and know that she will have a much smoother ride through her own journey. That is probably the saddest part of the story. A twist I would add to the ending is that we, the adults, must learn from Alice that real life should be filled with possibilities and “Yet to Be's.”

What lessons do you see? Which is your favorite character? Follow up at cjcorki.com for more.