I read this as a child, and just re-read it now. It's full of flowery (see what I did there?) prose, but is still as lovely and enjoyable as ever. As an adult, it serves as a reminder of the words of Andy Dufresne from the Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living, or get busy dying." We all have a choice in how we interact with the world around us, and that mindset can determine the quality of our lives.