“It doesn’t happen all at once, ” said the Skin Horse. “You become.
It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” ~ Velveteen Rabbit

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time and was one of the readings at my wedding. I love the idea that to be “real” it takes much time and you have been worn out. The word “real” can mean so many different things when you take it out of the context of stuffed animals and into our daily lives. Sometimes real can also be messy, but the authenticity is worth it.