Sunny River Writings

While visiting at Peggy’s house one Tuesday, I noticed a small black and white photograph in a plain wooden frame sitting on a table. Funny I had never noticed it before. The photo was of a lady, I assume she was a mother, holding a small child on her lap. There was a young boy standing at her side. He was peering at her lap where lay a book. It looked as if she was reading a story to the children.

The photo brings back memories of my childhood. It is not the sitting on mom’s lap or even mom reading to me. I do not have memories of my interaction with my mom as a little girl. But all the pictures of me at a very young age are in black and white. I think of my childhood and I think of my own children.

I have numerous fond memories of reading to my children. The early 70’s I had three children each within a year of each other. We read all the time. Christopher on my right, Charles on my left, and Dorothy on my lap. They each took turns turning the page. Sometimes they would read to me. Not the words for they were too young. They would read the pictures. One of their favorite things was when I would insert one of their names for one of the characters in the story. We would read Alfie the Christmas Tree, Benny and the Bear, The Cat in the Hat and of course The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.

Charles loved the Paddington Bear stories, I think because Paddington was always on an adventure. One year for x-mas Charles was given a Paddington bear and a shirt to match the one the bear wore. Dorothy loved stories about unicorns and trolls and fairies. She has a collection of The Wizard of Oz stories. One is written through the witch’s point of view.

In the early years I would dream fairy tales and couldn’t hold an adult conversation. I felt as if I talked in simple sentences using easy to understand words. My favorite books today come from the children’s department. I read The Far Side of The Mountain or anything by Jean Craighead George. One of my favorite stories is The Life and Times of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum.

When I graduated from college in 1996 my son gave me the book Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. My children know how I love children’s books. Someone always gave me one for my birthday or x-mas. I remember when I was little someone saying ‘you can go anywhere you want if you read books’. This is something I have passed on to my children. Books are where dreams are made and memories shared. I feel I am rich for I have read.