Friday, October 27, 2006

BED TIME STORIES

Thank you Sunday Scribblings for the memories....

I hold a snap shot in my head.

It is faded from age. A little dog-eared from the handling. The people, almost unrecognizable, ghost babies from long ago. Children sweet and young, one in a cowboy hat with toy pistol, the other less dramatic but an intense intelligence already characterized on his face. The mother long legged, or so it seemed to us small children, laying on the bed, a child under each arm and a book held aloft for easy access to turn pages. Myself at the foot of the bed, aloof and listening, a doll in my hands.

The Little Lame Prince.

The Wizard of Oz

Alice in Wonderland

Arabian Nights

Peter Pan

Winnie the Pooh

Profiles in Courage

Tarzan, of the Apes.

Only one chapter a night. We begged for more. Please, please, please.

Okay, only half a chapter, I don’t want you getting up late for school!

Fast forward 20 years to my daughter. “Let’s read a book!”

“Okay, Mommie” and always without fail, over and over again it was BUT NO ELEPHANTS. I did not need to look at the words on the page, I had the whole story memorized.

Another snap shot beginning to show the damage of age.

18 comments:

Donna. W said...

The only things I remember Mama reading to me are nursery rhymes. What I most recall are the ones I read for myself: Rapunzel, Rapunzel... Let down your hair. The Three Billy Goats Griff. The Bobbsey Twins. Heidi. Egermeirer's Bible Story Book.

Wow, how I loved those books.

Cynthia said...

This was simply beautiful.

Lisa :-] said...

Hmmmm.... I hold a similar picture, but it wasn't my mother, it was my oldest sister who read to us.

Lovely writing, Mar!

P.H. said...

Lovely

TMTW said...

You've proven that reading is a wonderful legacy that we pass down to each generation.

Thanks for reminding me of a few of my own snapshots!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! I am sure my daughter will remember us reading Goodnight Moon every night. I hope so, anyway...*sniff*

deedee said...

My snapshot holds my Dad's image reading to us.

GoGo said...

Love the books of choice here. Yeah, I would have to add the Children's Bible story companion to the list, not because I would read it to my kids, but because I remember listening to my mom read them constantly to us.

Anonymous said...

Touching...

~Jaime
chasenkids.org

Paul said...

One of the best things about a blog: a place to preserve those snapshots, particularly beautiful ones like the one you have created here.

Ali Ambrosio said...

I loved bedtime stories, too. I can't wait for the day when I have a little one to read to and relive all those memories.

I love the name of your blog, by the way!!

Anonymous said...

Lovely post! I can't say I have any memories of my mother reading to me, and that's sad, isn't it. (I made up for it when I had my own daughter. BTW, I added a link to your blog to my site.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this entry. As you probably know, I'm a biggg reader, and have always read to my kids -- still do! I even like to read books to my husband, who rarely has time to read! Loved this entry!

Tongue in Cheek Antiques said...

the wizard of oz....I could watch that everyday!

Anonymous said...

A few days after my children had been in a new daycare, the sitter said to me, "Your kids really love books." It was a scrap of praise I never forgot and one of the best things I nurtured in them. But when they got old enough for chapter books in grade school, the nightly reading ritual kind of fell by the wayside. Good for your mom! Most of the toys are gone, but the boxes of preschool books...never. I still get the Christmas books out every year--and read them myself! Especially On Christmas Eve by Peter Collington. No words, just a magical story in pictures. Check it out! What a different world it would be if every child under five was read to every night.
Oh, your entries!
*debbi*

Traci Anerson said...

But what is "but no elephants"?

Anonymous said...

Great snapshot into your life. Kim has me on a mission to find that book my dad read to me and I later read to my own children. The cover was so faded when my dad had been reading it to me and by the time I used it for my children any writing on the cover was completely faded off. Sadly, I think my ex did something with the book. He would destroy things he knew I loved as punishment.

Monica

Anonymous said...

You'll be pleased to know that But No Elephants, an original Parents Magazine Press book, is now being reprinted by CQ Products in Waverly, Iowa, along with other favorites! You'll find it www.cqproducts.com