In Gossamer, Lois Lowry shows us how to use our gifts to cultivate resilience and ease human suffering. Here a master storyteller has meticulously crafted a delightful tale of growth and healing, chock-full of adventure, magic and lovable characters. But this is more than a story for children. It's an inspiration for those who guide children on their journey to adulthood.
Mysterious creatures of the night, more like angels than faeries, flutter and flicker through the objects of our lives finding fragments from which to form dreams to bestow on us. In Gossamer a young apprentice dream-giver discovers how to use her gossamer touch to find the right fragments to give healing dreams to an abused and angry eight-year-old boy.
Lowry has deftly interwoven the story of the young boy and his elderly foster mother with the story of the young dream-giver and her elderly mentor. Both wise old mentors facilitate the growth of their charges by seeing them for who they are and providing just the right kind of support when support is needed. The youngsters develop along different timelines—the baby dream-giver develops into a competent professional in the few weeks it takes for the troubled boy to being to let go of his anger and make the first steps toward recovery.
Underpinning the story is a beautiful metaphor for the workings of the human psyche. We are composed of memories that are tied to the objects of our lives. The things we use and touch are imbued with traces of our interactions. Our internal equilibrium depends on anchors to good experiences in the world. When we are threatened by evil nightmares or stressed by difficult times, these attachments to goodness help keep us safe and whole.
Surely kids will enjoy the story of the mischievous sprite who grows up to be a benevolent force in the universe. But perhaps this allegory will mean more to the mentors—parents, grandparents, teachers, therapists, and writers of stories for children. "We do such important work," says Thin Elderly. "Sometimes we forget that."
What is this important work? Children need to make connections to what is good in this world so they won't fall apart when assailed by the forces of darkness. We can help them build these connections by helping them to sort the fragments of their lives: by sharing good times, by listening and accepting, by interpreting experiences, by pointing out examples and counterexamples, by revisiting cherished memories. It's not just about the fragments, it's about the interpretation of the fragments, and how they can be arranged to create a coherent and resilient sense of self in the world. The more good connections they have—to good people, to good experiences and to good ideas--the stronger they will become.