Snufkin

There is a fictional character who has been a hero to me since before I could read perhaps, back to that time when I was simply looking at the pictures and making stories to go along with them.
He is a hater of fences, a wanderer, a wearer of a floppy hat and a backpack,
a musician and a true friend
(even when far away).
This is Snufkin.

His migratory ways and disinterest in fitting in where he "should" helped a stray bit of a wild-child remain whole through years of weight and troubles.

My mother, who was a faraway to me at the time, sent me books and letters to bridge the distance between us when I was young and in another's care. The Moomin Books that introduced me to Snufkin were gifts from her.
The Moomin Books by Tove Jansson are Finnish in origin and for too many years they were out of print in America. They are of whimsy and darkish surreal adventure. These books were a world filled and realized for me when I was small and lost. They remain as a path to follow back to a place of comfort and fun for me now.