When our children were small, Other Half used to comment that ours was probably the only home were Mum was crying because the kids were going back to school the next day and the kids were excited. Leaving that conundrum aside, many children will be facing the above written question in the next few days, maybe in a foreign language, in an attempt to ease them and their teachers back into school routine.
However, holidays are important. Time to spend with families and other friends to those of term time, different places to see - maybe only a bus ride away but still away from the norm. Different things to do - or maybe the same old things but in a different place. Jam sandwiches as a child but made by my maternal Grandmother tasted so different!
Most of the school holidays this year Other Half and I spent in our little tin hut, on a cliff in the West Country with family and friends. We camp out very often with the same 'crowd', some of whom we may only meet up with once a year. Grandchildren came and stayed, played and left again. Some asked for different things and played different games. We tried to show them things and were taught things by them and our friends. Friends came and went, some did not make it this year whilst others arrived joyfully after a gap of a couple of years. We all returned home dirtier, older and maybe a bit wiser.
I learnt that jumping on bouncy castles creates a very strange feeling in one's tum.
I saw that some children cannot bear even to drop a ball in a competitive game whilst others loved just to join with others in the fun. [This attitude seems to continue in adult children. Especially little boys of about 35 or so]
I found it possible to ignore politics when the strain became too much and a cream tea was on offer, but not the threat of another war in the Middle East.
I watched Mums smooth over many a dispute between toddlers to teenagers. As with the awareness of war, Mums can never relax their vigilance. However - waiting awhile until the dust settles often means that quarrels are forgotten and the game continues in another way.
I realised that however happy one is, the death of a dearly beloved uncle, however elderly and expected, can still break one's heart and necessitate time alone to think about him and give thanks for his life.
I enjoyed the quiet times chatting with old friends just as much as the rowdy times being ever so silly and laughing a lot. The company is the main thing in both instances.
I noticed how different we all are. Children and adults, brothers and sisters, parents and childrens - we all have differents likes and dislikes and with fixed views even at two or three years old. Trying to change another's views is so often unnessary - there is usually the space to accomodate all - or that bane of children and parents: 'Share'!
I understood that there can be as much joy in small things that don't cost much as in huge presents. Watching the face of one of my grandson's on a trip to a [free] museum as he became interested in an artefact was a treasure that could not be bought!
Maybe some of our politicians and leaders should watch children at play and learn a few things from them. It can't be worse than the way the politicos are acting now, surely?
Just a few random thoughts, and I am still sad when the [grand] children go back to school.
Photo courtesy: http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=9907&sid=8db1042267ce03e2494f9406df37d1d1
No comments:
Post a Comment