That's Jack!

I think it interesting that he responded to losing his favorite dog by taking on his name. It seems so characteristic for C.S.Lewis to find some positive way of dealing with death at such an early age, seeing all the death and grief that was ahead: His mother's cancer and death when he was only 9, his friend's death at 19, and his long awaited wife's cancer and death at 60 after only a short marriage. These in addition to caring for his friends mother and sister for so many years until the mother's institutionaliztion and death, his father's death, and his brother's binge drinking, he learned to roll with the punches. For him, I think he did more coping than grieving, keeping a very emotionaly detatched responce until his wife, Joy, challenged and changed him. In his book/diary "A Grief Observed" he met Grief head on, to the betterment of us all.

You Don't Know Jack!

I've heard of C.S. Lewis most of my life, and read his books, read about him, and I truly respect who he was and what he taught. But, only this year I learned that his friends and family all called him Jack! It seems that at an early age of four, he decided that Clive Staples was not who he was, so he took on the name of Jacksie after a neighborhood dog he treasured bearing that name was recently deceased. There are so many tales and stories about this man and his work that I want to create this blog to honor him and perpetuate his legacy. Please check back from time to time, and please comment where you find something to add about him or his work.