Everyone seems to be able to relate to the touching story told in Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever. There’s a good reason why this book has quietly risen to the top of the best-selling children’s books of all time. The book chronicles a mother’s love for her son, coming full circle with her tear-jerking ending. Just in case you were able to read this book without crying, please listen to the true story behind it and say goodbye to your dry eyes. please love me forever!
In this book, mothers repeat these words to their sons throughout their lives:
“i will love you forever
i love you forever
as long as you are alive
My baby, you will be.”
At the end of the book, the roles are reversed and the son cares for his mother, as it is the son’s turn to comfort his elderly mother and sing her equally heartbreaking and beautiful words.
Maria Shriver says that reading this book always brings tears to her eyes. “I have yet to read through this book without crying. This book has a lot to say about the cycle of life, youth, parenting, and our responsibility to our parents as we grow older. The message is very simple. But it’s so profound. ‘Love You Forever’ is a great gift for anyone with children or even their own parents.”
Joey, a character from the popular TV show Friends, famously read this story to Ross and Rachel’s child Emma at her first birthday party. He brought an entire room to tears with a dramatic reading of his beloved book.
But the real story behind this book is rooted in the author’s grief. The author, Robert Munsch, briefly studied to become a Jesuit priest, but he suffered from depression. He revealed that the quatrain was a lullaby he quietly sang to himself over and over again after the tragedy. Robert and his wife Ann Beeler experienced great loss when they had two stillborn children within a short period of time. Then they learned that they could never get pregnant.robert share“I wrote this song as a memorial to two stillborn babies born in 1979 and 1980. This story actually started as a song.”
He would recite this poem in his mind as a coping mechanism when he felt the sadness coming over him. One day, he had the idea to make his song one of his fairy tales and convey his powerful message.
Although this story is very personal to the author, he is happy that it has become so important to others and that it has touched the hearts of so many people. It gave him a way to tell his babies in heaven how much he loved them. And he has given many other parents a voice to share their indescribable feelings of love for their children.
This book is a testament to the unconditional and never-ending love that parents have for their children. The touching ending signifies the continuing cycle of life and the bond of love between parent and child. It is also a beautiful reminder to be thankful for the love and support our parents have given us.
This Christmas season, reach out to those who mean the most to you and remind them how much they mean to you.
“i will love you forever
i love you forever
as long as you are alive
My baby, you will be.”
Photo credit: Book Image credit: YouTube/Photo credit: Wayne Evans from Pexels
Originally published on GodTube. Used with permission.
