There once was a girl, trudging through the woods on a breezy cool day. Little Red Riding Hood was on her way to her grandmother’s house when she was faced with fear – meeting the big bad wolf. The wolf sees that Riding Hood treads off the path and into the dark forest and he sneaks off to eat grandma and to wait for her to arrive and be eaten, too. Once Riding Hood realizes she has veered off the path, she continues on her way to grandma’s. Unbeknownst to Little Red Riding Hood, the big bad wolf dressed as grandmother and waits underneath the covers in her bed. Riding Hood is quickly scarfed down but later saved by the nearby hunter. The wolf releases both Riding Hood and her grandmother from his belly, both making it out alive to remember living more cautiously throughout the rest of their days and never coming in contact with a big bad wolf again.
In this story, can you relate to Riding Hood as we journey “through the forest?” We start as unaware, innocent children wandering through life with no clue the big bad wolf exists. The bad wolf waiting in the forest represents the hard times we face, but can overcome. As Riding Hood gets derailed and falls from the path, she can be seen as all of us who lose sight of what comes after we go through hardships, and she can also represent those of us who push through to keep pursuing what we want in our life to make it to grandma’s house (wisdom). Being swallowed up by the big bad wolf can also share a more symbolic side by showing our ability to come back from even the darkest of places. Grandma’s house also represents sanctuary and safety once we have made it through our harsh times. The journey we embark on gives us the knowledge of how to continue through life without making the same mistakes or decisions, giving us a leg up on survival and finding our truest path to achieve greatness.
What is something you’ve overcome so far on your journey? Do you feel that was like a journey back from the wolf’s stomach, like a second chance to do things differently?
