Yesterday I took MK to the dentist for a check up. I love our dentist, mostly because my dear friend works there as the office manager. Whenever I take my kids (or myself) to the dentist I get to spend some quality time chatting with Nancy. Yesterday our conversation settled on books…books we’ve read, books we want to read, books we are currently reading. Nancy is deep into a book called “The Happiness Project.” She’s totally fired up about it. She reiterated some of the wisdom she is gaining from her reading. It certainly sounded intriguing.
This is not and exact quote, but she mentioned and idea from the book that has stuck in my mind since hearing it…
“It’s the things that you do everyday, rather than the things that you do just once in awhile, that matter most.”
That statement rings so true to me.
When I think back on my childhood, it’s really the memories of the ordinary, everyday that come back to me. Sure I remember the vacations, birthdays, girl’s camps, holidays, the once-in-awhile things too; but the happiest memories for me come from the simple things that happened on regular, ordinary days.
My boys have been begging me for months to take them to get their own library cards. I finally obliged and we have been making consistent trips there. Jonathan checked out “James and the Giant Peach” and I’ve been reading it to the boys, a little each night before they go to bed. This has been a pleasant exercise for all three of us. I love this time each night, reading with my boys. They snuggle up close, stick their bare feet under my legs and behind my back. The best part…they lay so still as they listen. This is a rare thing people!
I have vivid memories of my dad reading this same book to me when I was about the boy’s age. I received the book as a birthday gift from my neighbor, Denise. Each night dad would sit on my blue bed spread, in my Raggedy Ann and Andy room, and read to me. I’m sure I laid just as still as my boys. The memories of that reading are so clear. I’ve forgotten many stories that I’ve read or heard over the years, but not this one.
Except that my James looked like this…
Illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert
And the boy’s James looks like this….
Illustrations by Lane Smith
And my flying peach looked like this….
And theirs, like this….
But, the story is still beautifully the same. Still just as imaginative and just as delightful.
I’m lamenting the fact that we only have 6 chapters left, but after we finish we’ll move right on to the next Roald Dahl classic, and in my humble opinion the best Roald Dahl of all….
My boys are going to love this one.
*Funny…I mentioned to Nancy that I was reading “James and the Giant Peach” to the boys. She says that her children, mostly all grown and gone now, remember their grandma reading the same book to them when they were young. They each vividly remember the night she read the word nincompoop (it actually appears on page 89) and all of them laughing hysterically at grandma for saying such a word.
It really is the ordinary things we remember.
7 comments:
I figure you're going to remember something from your childhood, and there may as well be some good memories to think of and pass on! Keep making memories. Children don't last forever!
I agree, Jill. One of my favorite memories is kneeling for family prayer in our (then) yellow kitchen. The sun was streaming through the blinds and the smell of French toast spiced with nutmeg (my dad's Saturday special) was in the air. Such a wonderful, warm memory.
My James and my peach were the same as yours. And I think my favorite childhood memory is going outside every morning one summer and sitting on a blanket while my mom read us the Wizard of Oz. If we can't find joy in the ordinary, than most of us are in trouble!
The things we read in books to the kids spark some of our best discussions. We can approach hard topics like death or a grownup telling you to do the wrong thing in a safe and loving setting. That's what makes Roald Dahl one of the best authors to read aloud from.
Even as a grownup, I still love being read to and often check out audiobooks from the library. It can get me through a long run better than anything else.
Oh, I loved reading Roald Dahl books so, so much! My mom read 'The Witches' aloud to me when I was young; it was so fun (and a little scary). Danny the Champion of the World was also a real favorite. It's great to see how the illustrations have changed in different editions.
Remember the empty frame I hung on my gallery wall. I just put the words, "Today Matters" inside of it. At first I thought it was a little cheesy, and maybe it is, but it's something I think about all the time right now. As a mother or really a human, your days can get somewhat monotonous and I feel like I have to remember that today does matter. Consistency in creating an environment filled with love is one of the hardest and most important aspects of motherhood. You can't plan moments. You just have to be there when they happen. And it's usually doing the small, everyday things. Loved this post. Thanks for sharing.
Jill, I read the Happiness Project while I was at Julie's early this month! It is inspiring and I think you will find you do alot of the things she talks about! Reading with my kids is one of my most magical memories!
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