Thursday 14 February 2008

My heart is full

One of the strangest things about parenting is the sudden understanding you have about how skills, talents and interests are passed down the generations. Having children made me remember my own childhood more, and made me want to recreate things for my own children, that my parents did for me. Things like:
  • making jam
  • summer trips to the PYO farm
  • a love of walking
  • lazy pub lunches
  • a delight in trying new foods
  • the pleasures of singing or playing an instrument with others
  • keeping chickens as pets

Some I have succeeded in and others are at more of a work-in-progress stage.


When I see my children doing things I enjoyed at their age it fills my heart: reading books I loved (Milly Molly Mandy, Swallows & Amazons, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and so many others), climbing trees, feeding the chickens, making strange 'machines' from old cereal boxes, milk bottle tops and way too much glue. So satisfying.



Yesterday O had a small operation and this morning she opened a parcel that my mother had sent her as a get well present. Inside was a little sewing kit. O could not have been more delighted, and exclaimed those words that filled my heart: "Look! Now I can sew things just like you!"

.



5 comments:

  1. hope that O is making a good recovery.
    I love it when childhood memories of things we love can be passed on to our children, and hopefully one day maybe onto their children, and so a thread of memories connects us all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glad to see that creativity and craft runs in the family!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I Loved Milly Molly Mandy too and think it was her that inspired me into wanting to open a shop one day (do you remember when she looked after the shop for a morning?)I loved the map of the village in the books too..and don't even get me started on the Tiger who came to tea!Love O's sewing projects-they're brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I clicked through to your blog as I was leaving a comment on Driftwood and saw your name in the list above me - such a fantastic one that I couldn't not come and peek at your blog - I'm so pleased I have.

    I feel exactly about loving my children experiencing similar things to those that filled my own childhood.

    Your daughter's stitching is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Found you via Flossie Teacakes, as a complulsive list writer I had to come for a nosey!
    You are right the connection through sharing things we loved as children, with our own children is special.
    Hope O is recovering well.

    ReplyDelete

Even though I often do not have the time to reply to everybody, I really appreciate all your comments so much - thank you for taking the time to read my blog and share your thoughts on what I've written.