This Moose Belongs To Me

 

Can we be in ownership of anything that has a mind of its own?
And more importantly, should we? 

This Moose Belongs To Me by Oliver Jeffers is an exploration of the concept of belonging, ownership, free will, and a child’s discovery of
friendship that’s free of terms or exclusivity.

 

 

 

 

Wilfred had drawn up a list of things that Marcel must obey.

Did Marcel honour those?

 

 

 

Wilfred also loved to go on walks with Marcel, and tell him about all the fantastic plans he had for the two of them in future. He also carried a ball of wool to lead them back home safely.

 

 

On one such walk, the unthinkable happened.

 

 

 

 

Wilfred was indignant, hurt and confused. How could Marcel, who had pledged to adhere to all his wishes and shared in his future plans have abandoned him?

In a cloud of mixed emotions, he rushed home to sort his feelings.

But that didn’t work out for him.

 

 

He lay there, tangled, waiting for a rescue. Was he rescued? Who rescued him? What did it all mean? You must read the book to find out.

 

 

When we say “belong” or “mine”, we attribute ownership. We give it no more thought. Which is probably why we don’t understand why we are the ones feeling lost, when something ‘belonging’ to us slips away.

We love making these elaborate dreams involving other living beings with free will. But situations, people’s priorities, and connections can change. We all are free to do so ourselves. We must allow for it with courage, if we need to stop feeling lost every time things (and people) don’t go the way we planned them to.

What does stay with us, though, is friendship that graduated from the need for exclusivity, ego, and co-dependence. Into a healthy relationship that has distance, trust, and meaningful presence.

We are happy with friends. We are also happy without them, every now and then. With friends, there’s company. By ourselves, there’s solitude. Cultivate and enjoy both!

 

Forget all the labels of “We must”, “We should”, “Mine and yours”, and “Belongs to me”. Unless it’s ice cream. We must always make ownership of ice cream very clear.

For everything else, keep your doors and heart open. For arrivals as well as departures.

 

 

“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing’.” ― Mark Z. Danielewski