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| Sewn with Love by Elemmírë | 3 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Queen Galadriel | Reviewed Chapter: 999999 on 12/21/2006 |
| I finally had a chance to catch up on this. It made me cry, especially the last chapter and the very end. Poor Esme, I can understand her frustration. There are just some things we can't understand until we faced them, and how are we to know how to deal with them beforehand? Frustration isn't necessarily the *right* reaction, but it's certainly natural. It's almost unbearable to see Frodo like this...so young and so deeply grieved. The firsts are always the hardest, and the memories of dreams and plans are the worst of all. This brings back memories of the year my grandfather died, and the night I sat up with my restless younger cousin and eventually held onto her while she poured out her memories of him and tears for him--and of crying with her because I felt I'd never really known him, not being close to him. I'm so glad Frodo could release some of that grief in that way, with the three adults who try so hard for him. I especially like that he got that little moment with Esme, a reward for her, I'm sure. Wonderful, too, to see him tucked up at the end, wrapped in a blanket of love (literally) with Beorn and Beorn's new friend, sleeping the sleep of a child again, with a child's companions. God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: Sorry to have made you cry, my dear. *hands you another of Bilbo's seemingly never-ending supply of pocket-handkerchiefs* Poor Esme, I can understand her frustration. There are just some things we can't understand until we faced them, and how are we to know how to deal with them beforehand? Frustration isn't necessarily the *right* reaction, but it's certainly natural. True. There are some things in life that you just cannot be prepared for ... or you can have all the preparation in the world and it still doesn't matter one bit. Frodo was at that age where was old enough to remember his parents afterwards and yet young enough to still require them in his daily life. Grief and loss are difficult at any age, but Frodo wasn't say a one-year old who never knew his parents, or an older child near to coming of age who perhaps could manage to survive without. No, Frodo was at a very vulnerable age when Drogo and Primula where taken from him in such a traumatic way, hence his deep grief and confusion. As I told Larner, one day I hope to write another tale that follows a growing Frodo through each of the 12 stages of grief. Yes, having Frodo finally talk and start to accept their love was exactly what Sara and Esme needed too, for they were begining to doubt themselves and their ability to raise such a lad. Frodo's acceptance of the quilt and his sudden willingness to talk were a very important step for all three. Wonderful, too, to see him tucked up at the end, wrapped in a blanket of love (literally) with Beorn and Beorn's new friend, sleeping the sleep of a child again, with a child's companions. I LOVE how you worded that ... sleeping the sleep of a child again with a child's companions. Frodo is still a young lad--a young lad who had now experienced much grief and sadness than any child should ever bear--but a young lad nonetheless. Orphans tend to be psychologically and emotionally more mature than their peers in many ways, and yet much more undeveloped in others where they lag behind. Although Frodo is changed in many ways now, he still needs to be the child that he is. Thank you, my Queen, for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it! Merry Christmas to you and your family--may your holidays and the New Year be blessed! ~Elemmírë~ p.s. I think Beorn's new friend needs a name. LOL! What do you think? | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 999999 on 12/21/2006 |
| You know that I have Pippin spearheading the move to make such a quilt for Aragorn in one story, and Frodo receives the mantle of memories from the shade of Ruvemir. As I said in the last story, we need such memories and the physical triggers that bring them to mind to be complete. I so love this story. Thank you for it. And may your grandmother be continued to be remembered with love forever. Author Reply: Once again, I'm very glad you enjoyed this tale so much, Larner! Thank you again for all of your lovely reviews and thank you also for your kind words here. I will always remember both my grandmother and grandfather with all the love in the world, for they were very dear to my heart always. I have never met two more kind or loving individuals ever ... they never had an unkind word for anyone and I learned much from them. They died when I was 22 and 25, and I wish I could have known them even longer. But I give thanks that I was able to know them both for as long as I did, that they lived nearby, and were an important part of my life. Thank you again, Larner. :) ~Elemmírë~ | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 999999 on 12/21/2006 |
| I am glad that writing this helped a little with your own grief Elemmire. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Smell is such a potent sense that can shock and surprise us for good or grief at times. You showed this brilliantly. Author Reply: It did help, even though my grandmother had passed on years before I ever began writing LOTR fic. I'm sad to say that hers was really the first funeral/loss of a loved one in my life, so it will always be a bit traumatic in some ways. Whenever I would go to visit with my grandfather afterward, her flannel nighgowns remained hanging just where she had left them ... I would always hold one close and smell it, for they still contained her scent. After my grandfather too passed on and I began to write more, this "ritual" made its way into Frodo's childhood (along with other memories/experiences of mine), as one of the areas I love to explore with him is his life around when his parents died. That's the one scene I started this story with when I began to write it--with Frodo curled up on his parents' bed amongst their laid out clothing, smelling them and remembering. Again, Harrowcat, I thank you very much for reading this sad tale. It's greatly appreciated. Hannon le ~Elemmírë~ | |