Because death would be the biggest adventure of all...
All children must grow up, or so parents tell us. But one boy did not grow up. We call him Peter Pan because that is what he is; youth. Now, he looks like a man and he stands six feet high. His face is sculpted like an adult’s but he has that childish twinkle in his eye. He has not grown up. He is still a little boy. All the children love to play with him. He knows more games than can even be imagined. Many girls and boys travel with him to Neverland to dream and have adventures. You might not know it, but every child has a fairy, a fairy to stand for their youth, dreams and imagination. And when children play with Peter, their fairies always play too. Of course, there were pirates in Neverland. But they do not have sword or cannons. They never make the children walk the plank. In fact, they are not scary at all. Peter just laughs at them and the children never fear them a single bit.
But there was once a little girl who wanted to grow up. And she was growing up as fast as she possibly could. We called her Wendy. She did not want to fly, or fight pirates, or go to a place such as Neverland. She wanted to have an education, to get married and to be a mother. She hated Peter Pan when he tried to play with her and she cursed him for his childish ways. So one day, Peter Pan kidnapped her and stole her away to Neverland. They lived there together for many years. Peter and Wendy became best friends in their world of eternal youth. It turned out that Wendy’s fairy was the most brilliant of them all. When Peter and Wendy flew together with their fairies, they lit up the entire sky with a blinding light. Peter Pan still played with the other children, but Wendy was his favorite. And when the other children one by one stopped believing and left Neverland, Wendy always stayed. Every time a child says, “I don’t believe in fairies” their fairy somewhere falls down dead. So, together, Peter and Wendy swept thousands of dead fairies into the sea, but their fairies always stayed aglow.
One day Peter had to tell Wendy the reality; she could not stay in Neverland forever, she had to grow up, and she finally had to move on like all of the other children. But Wendy refused to leave; she wanted to stay just a little bit longer. Years passed again, but still Wendy would not leave. But all children must grow up, all children except Peter Pan of course. When she refused to grow up she changed. She could not play anymore, or dream and even the brilliance of her fairy began to fade. As the light of her fairy faded, Wendy cried out that she was wrong, she wanted to fall in love, she wanted to be a mother, and she wanted to grow up, but it was too late. She had played too long. She could never go back. She knew she was dying, but she could never tell Peter. Whenever he came by to see her she wanted to tell him, but he was always so happy and laughing so hard that he could not hear of her pains. But her fairy’s light still dimmed by the day. She held her fairy out on her palms and cried, “I believe. You know I believe, I always will!” The glow in Wendy’s checks started to fade and slowly and quietly, both of their lights went out.
But there was once a little girl who wanted to grow up. And she was growing up as fast as she possibly could. We called her Wendy. She did not want to fly, or fight pirates, or go to a place such as Neverland. She wanted to have an education, to get married and to be a mother. She hated Peter Pan when he tried to play with her and she cursed him for his childish ways. So one day, Peter Pan kidnapped her and stole her away to Neverland. They lived there together for many years. Peter and Wendy became best friends in their world of eternal youth. It turned out that Wendy’s fairy was the most brilliant of them all. When Peter and Wendy flew together with their fairies, they lit up the entire sky with a blinding light. Peter Pan still played with the other children, but Wendy was his favorite. And when the other children one by one stopped believing and left Neverland, Wendy always stayed. Every time a child says, “I don’t believe in fairies” their fairy somewhere falls down dead. So, together, Peter and Wendy swept thousands of dead fairies into the sea, but their fairies always stayed aglow.
One day Peter had to tell Wendy the reality; she could not stay in Neverland forever, she had to grow up, and she finally had to move on like all of the other children. But Wendy refused to leave; she wanted to stay just a little bit longer. Years passed again, but still Wendy would not leave. But all children must grow up, all children except Peter Pan of course. When she refused to grow up she changed. She could not play anymore, or dream and even the brilliance of her fairy began to fade. As the light of her fairy faded, Wendy cried out that she was wrong, she wanted to fall in love, she wanted to be a mother, and she wanted to grow up, but it was too late. She had played too long. She could never go back. She knew she was dying, but she could never tell Peter. Whenever he came by to see her she wanted to tell him, but he was always so happy and laughing so hard that he could not hear of her pains. But her fairy’s light still dimmed by the day. She held her fairy out on her palms and cried, “I believe. You know I believe, I always will!” The glow in Wendy’s checks started to fade and slowly and quietly, both of their lights went out.