Importance of fairy tales and bedtime stories

 Fairy tales in childhood 

are stepping stones

 throughout life,

 leading the way

 through trouble and trial. 

The value of fairy tales

 lies not in a brief literary escape

 from reality,

 but in the gift of hope 

that goodness truly is more powerful 

than evil 

and that even the darkest reality

 can lead to a Happily Ever After. 

Do not take that gift of hope lightly.

 It has the power to conquer despair 

in the midst of sorrow, 

to light the darkness in the valleys of life,

 to whisper “One more time” in the face of failure. 

Hope is what gives life to dreams, 

making the fairy tale the reality. —L.R. Knost

Me reading to my granddaughter Addison

on Christmas day.

She is now seven.

 I will defend the importance of bedtime stories

 to my last gasp. —JK Rowling