The First Book That Stayed with Me

Title: Runt

Author: Marion Dane Bauer

Long before I understood how powerful stories could be, one story had already changed the way I saw the world.

I read Runt by Marion Dane Bauer when I was a child, and all these years later, I still remember the lesson it left with me.

In many ways, I think this was the first book that truly stayed with me.

Runt tells the story of the smallest wolf pup in his litter. He is often underestimated and treated as though he does not have the same place or value as the others. He is different. He is smaller. And others make assumptions about what that means.

But Runt’s story taught me something I have carried with me ever since:

Everyone has a place. Everyone has value. Everyone has a purpose—even when others cannot see it yet.

The Lesson That Stayed With Me

As a child, I knew what it felt like to be different.

I grew up with medical conditions that made my body different from those around me. I had surgeries, doctor appointments, limitations, and experiences that other children did not always understand.

I think that is part of why Runt’s story stayed with me.

He was underestimated because of something others saw as a weakness. But being different did not mean he did not belong. Being small did not mean he was without strength. And the way others viewed him did not determine his worth.

Even as a child, that message meant something to me.

And as an adult, it means even more.

It is easy to feel as though we have to prove that we deserve to belong.

We may compare ourselves to others and focus on the ways we fall short. We may begin to believe the labels people give us or assume that because we are different, struggling, or still finding our way, we somehow have less to offer.

But Runt taught me that our value is not determined by whether other people recognize it.

Sometimes the qualities that make us feel different are also the qualities that shape who we become.

Sometimes our purpose takes time to discover.

And sometimes the person everyone underestimates has strengths no one has taken the time to see.

Looking back, I think it is meaningful that this was the first book I remember staying with me.

Today, so much of my life and work centers around stories.

I am a therapist. I am a writer. I created The Resilient Storyteller because I believe our stories matter—including the difficult chapters, the unexpected paths, and the parts of ourselves that others may not always understand.

And long before I had the words to explain any of that, a little wolf named Runt taught me that everyone belongs somewhere.

Everyone has something to offer.

Everyone has a purpose.

Sometimes we just need a story to help us see it.