For those of us who grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" Series or the fanatics who own every television episode on DVD...guilty, the Ingalls' became a second family. Ma and Pa taught us the value of love and hard work, Mary helped us learn responsibility and kindness, Laura taught us how to make endless mistakes, but also to learn from them, while having one grand adventure after another. In the town of Walnut Grove, community bound hearts together. Memories were made, lives were shared. I, too, have shared my childhood with the citizens of Walnut Grove, and the Ingalls family will always have a special place in my heart. Today, I will list a few of the many life lessons taught by Laura's misadventures and the love that supersedes all else.
1. The strangest nicknames are the most endearing.
Half-pint. Pa's nickname for Laura is one of the most fondly remembered aspects of Little House on the Prairie. Although childhood nicknames can be embarrassing as we begin to navigate the waters of adulthood, just like Laura, one day we will appreciate the silly little aspects of childhood, because they were made with the people we love.
2. Having an arch nemesis makes you a better person...sometimes.
Batman and Joker, the Hatfields and McCoys, Laura and Nellie. A good feud isn't too hard to find! Sometimes it's healthy to have some good, clean competition. Although it wasn't always fun and games, Laura and Nellie's "friendship" proved sometimes you need motivation to become the person you were meant to be.
3. Love is worth more than money.
The Ingalls family showed us that there's a lot more to life than money. Love, hard work, faith, and family are worth more than gold. Life isn't always easy. In fact, it rarely is. But, the Ingalls' are proof that love endures all.
4. Wearing braids every day will eventually attract your future spouse.
Stick with the hairstyle that works for you! Laura had sixteen years of braids. Eventually she caught the eye of Almanzo and later became Mrs. Laura Ingalls Wilder.
5. Sometimes your best friends are your family.
When the Mrs. Olesons of this world get you down, take comfort in the ones who love you most. Just like Laura and Mary, there for each other through thick and thin, the bonds of family are stronger than your hard times.
6. Music is the best medicine.
Music has a special way of identifying with the best and worst of situations. In the good times and bad, Pa's fiddle could be heard, playing a tune.
7. School is important.
At least half of what kids learn at school is learned at recess. For the Ingalls girls, lessons about life, love, and arithmetic were all learned around the tiny schoolhouse.
8. A good dog is one of the best gifts in life.
This little fellow followed Laura across the prairie. The devotion of a good dog is matched by few. "Little House on the Prairie" proves how important our canine friends can be.
9. Christmas brings people together.
Deck the halls! If anything brings a family together, it's Christmas. We watch the Ingalls girls grow into young women with families of their own, but they're never too old to return home for Christmas.
10. Sometimes, people change.
...And sometimes they don't. There will always be those people in our lives, the ones you wish would change, but never seem to. Little House on the Prairie teaches us to love our neighbors, no matter how unlovable (ahem...Harriet Oleson).
11. Knowing how to cook is an under-appreciated skill.
Unfortunately, not everyone can cook as well as Caroline Ingalls. Truth be told, some of us can identify with Nellie Oleson, when it comes to our culinary skills. Still, there is hope! Even Nellie managed to pick up a few skills from Caroline by the end of the series.
12. A “good luck kiss” is the best kind of magic.
There are moments in life that words don't seem to do justice. The moments that can be summed up by one word: magic. Laura and Almanzo, "Manly" and "Beth," showed us that even the most unlikely and clumsy can experience these moments of pure magic.
13. Don’t forget your hometown.
While I don't think many of us have grown up in a town quite like Walnut Grove, Minnesota, I think we all have experienced the desire to "get out" as fast as we can. For Mary and Laura, these feelings were just as strong. Still, no matter how far you run from your roots, as you grow older, you learn to appreciate them. Laura and Mary both learn how special their hometown truly is.
14. Faith in God can bring you through the unthinkable.
Death, destruction, disappointment after disappointment. The Ingalls family saw it all. Despite the hardships they faced, their unyielding faith in God endured. Their struggles prove that, no matter what you face, God is always there and will always see you through.
15. Stay out of debt.
“Cash on the barrel,” Pa always said. The members of the Ingalls family were no strangers to hard financial times. However, staying out of debt was a deeply rooted value, and one that I take seriously. While, at times, debt can seem unavoidable, always remember: neither a borrower nor a lender be.
16. Going fishin’ makes life a little sweeter.
Some days are simply made for fishing. On the banks of Plum Creek, Laura, Mary, and Pa taught us to take advantage of every sunny day.
17. Appreciate your parents.
While your parents have, more than likely, never journeyed across the prairie in a covered wagon, they've probably accomplished similar feats when it comes to raising you. Charles and Caroline Ingalls show us what it means to truly sacrifice for your children, all while giving them encouragement and love. Through the Ingalls' story, learn to appreciate the sacrifices your loved ones have made.
18. Home is where your family is.
In a tiny cabin on the prairie, the Ingalls family showed us what it means to live life to the fullest. Through blizzards, drought, death, love, and growing older, the bonds of home and family always remained. These are the values instilled in us by the Ingalls family, and ones that will not be forgotten.
"Home is the nicest word there is." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
