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Friday, November 5, 2010

The Race That Knows Joseph

As you know, I'm a big fan of the Anne of Green Gables series and if you are too, then I consider you to be from the "race that knows Joseph". :) When I first encountered that idiom in "Anne's House of Dreams", I thought the meaning (kindred spirit) was kind of anti-climactic. I was expecting it to mean something else or something more. It was reminiscent of something from the Bible about the generation of Egyptians who no longer knew Joseph, so I thought it would have something to do with that somehow (an elaboration would probably show the connection). However, as soon as I had made my peace with the given meaning, I couldn't wait to use the phrase.  As expected, I didn't find many out there who belonged to "that race" and appreciated the idiom, lol. After all, how naturally can you include it in casual conversation? :D
Anne, with her bright red (carrot, according to the juvenile version of her future husband) hair and sparkling gray/green eyes, is a character I would like my daughter to get to know before she encounters the Wakefield twins or Judy Blume's girls. I would love for Marguerite to read and be inspired by characters who are from "that race". I know how impressionable I was as a reader and how I thought I could relate to all those fictional characters (you should have been around when I read "The Catcher in the Rye" -- then again, I read it too young), so I'm thinking, much in the way of friendship, that it's more ideal to expose her to characters who'd be a good influence.
I also naturally love Anne's emphasis on the importance of imagination. I'm big on imagination myself. Every time I see Marguerite involve herself in imaginative play, I feel such a thrill. If she'll be able to hold on that sense of imagination, creativity and wonder as she grows up, I can be certain of an extraordinary life for her. And to have the Lord's joy ever present in her life... I know her days will be abundantly blessed and that she'll know it. Anyway, that's my hope and prayer for her. She'll definitely belong to the race that knows Joseph, which (according to Captain Jim) is the "salt of the airth".

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love Anne of Green Gables!!! Too bad my collections were destroyed during ondoy. :(

-joi

Vickie Heully said...

It might make me seem strange, but I have never read these books. As a kid, I was a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. I also loved Nancy Drew mysteries.

I will try to introduce my little girl to all of these. I think she would enjoy them all.

spinninglovelydays said...

@Joi: Sorry about that. Ondoy made short work of many of the things we held dear.

@Vickie: I loved the Little House books and Nancy Drew too, although I prefer the old cases from the '50s than the ones coming out now.

Sharkbytes said...

Wonderful hopes for your little Midge!

spinninglovelydays said...

Thanks! :)

The Darkest Night said...

I love the Anne books too! (but
have to admit I didn't as a kid...*oops* I think I was 8 or 9 when I first tried to read them....didn't like them at all... then tried them again at 13 I think, and started to really like them.... ;-) )

spinninglovelydays said...

I think many kids below ten would find the novel too verbose. I know Chip still does, lol Maybe an illustrated abridged version would be better for the younger kids :)