Sarah Kelly's Blog: Notes from The Marsupium - Posts Tagged "belonging"
The Story Behind Karl’s Marsupium
I never expected Karl. But he arrived nonetheless — just as children sometimes do, appearing unexpectedly with joy and surprise.
Karl came with more than just his little story. He arrived in the middle of a eureka moment one day, while I was taking a break from an inbox full of hundreds of overwhelming “urgent” emails.
Ah! A kangaroo boy born with a pouch!
And the rest just spilled out.
I don’t have children myself — by choice — but Karl arrived in my life almost like one. Unexpected, insistent, full of joy, and carrying lessons I didn’t even know I needed. In that way, he’s become a kind of companion and teacher, reminding me daily about tenderness, difference, and the magic of seeing the world through fresh eyes.
His world is filled with heart, wisdom, kindness, lessons, love, secrets, and big feelings about life when you are different. After writing his overview story, I realized the depth behind it was even more than I could properly hold. So now I stand as the transmitter of his world and the characters in it, hoping to convey their messages in a tender, lighthearted way. Because life is much too serious already.
I have fallen deeply in love with Karl and his world because he is more than a character. He’s a reminder: that we all have something we carry — sometimes proudly, sometimes quietly — and that it’s worth telling stories about those things, even if you don’t feel ready. Because they matter.
This is the beginning of Karl’s story. And, in many ways, mine too.
Keep on bouncing,
Sarah <3
Karl came with more than just his little story. He arrived in the middle of a eureka moment one day, while I was taking a break from an inbox full of hundreds of overwhelming “urgent” emails.
Ah! A kangaroo boy born with a pouch!
And the rest just spilled out.
I don’t have children myself — by choice — but Karl arrived in my life almost like one. Unexpected, insistent, full of joy, and carrying lessons I didn’t even know I needed. In that way, he’s become a kind of companion and teacher, reminding me daily about tenderness, difference, and the magic of seeing the world through fresh eyes.
His world is filled with heart, wisdom, kindness, lessons, love, secrets, and big feelings about life when you are different. After writing his overview story, I realized the depth behind it was even more than I could properly hold. So now I stand as the transmitter of his world and the characters in it, hoping to convey their messages in a tender, lighthearted way. Because life is much too serious already.
I have fallen deeply in love with Karl and his world because he is more than a character. He’s a reminder: that we all have something we carry — sometimes proudly, sometimes quietly — and that it’s worth telling stories about those things, even if you don’t feel ready. Because they matter.
This is the beginning of Karl’s story. And, in many ways, mine too.
Keep on bouncing,
Sarah <3
When Karl Arrives at the Door
When Karl first appeared I thought he might stay tucked away - hidden in the quiet and forgotten corners of my desk. So when the day came when he began to travel out into the world it was much to my surprise and delight!
Every time Karl arrives at the door of a friend, colleague or family member’s home it feels like a celebration. I picture him bouncing in, pouch wide open, bringing with him not just a story, but a kind of a spark.
There is something deeply humbling about watching people you love welcome a character you’ve created. It’s as though Karl himself pulls up a chair at their kitchen table, or curls up in a child’s lap, and suddenly he belongs there.
I never expected Karl to travel this way — from my imagination, to the page, to the hearts of others. His arrival in each home (and each tear he brings) reminds me that stories don’t just live with their authors. They stretch out, find new places to root, and bring joy that multiplies with every reader.
Keep on Bouncing,
Sarah
Every time Karl arrives at the door of a friend, colleague or family member’s home it feels like a celebration. I picture him bouncing in, pouch wide open, bringing with him not just a story, but a kind of a spark.
There is something deeply humbling about watching people you love welcome a character you’ve created. It’s as though Karl himself pulls up a chair at their kitchen table, or curls up in a child’s lap, and suddenly he belongs there.
I never expected Karl to travel this way — from my imagination, to the page, to the hearts of others. His arrival in each home (and each tear he brings) reminds me that stories don’t just live with their authors. They stretch out, find new places to root, and bring joy that multiplies with every reader.
Keep on Bouncing,
Sarah
