Grandma's Reverie or Close Encounters with The Giving Tree
As I've written in the past, I always enjoy reading with my granddaughter, but reading with her takes on a whole new glow when I am reading one of the classic early childhood picture books that I once read to my own two children. This became crystal clear the other day as I tried, quite unsuccessfully, to get through The Giving Tree
without tears welling up in my eyes. Suddenly, at right about the place where the boy carries off the tree's branches to build a house, it started, and although I struggled with my voice, by the time I got to the part where the boy cuts down the tree's trunk for his boat, the cat was out of the bag. My granddaughter looked up at me from my lap, pointed at my face and said "Tears". I was caught! I was caught in a reverie that the child could not even begin to understand. How could she know how it felt to hold your child's child on your lap? How can one even begin to describe the overwhelming awe one feels when the realization hits them that their baby has a baby? How could the child comprehend that I was the tree, and that although, like the tree in the book, I had given willingly and was very happy for the successes and happiness of the boy, the fact remains that time is marching on and the proof of it was sitting, all comfy and cozy, in my lap? Yes, there she was with a hint of her father's expression dancing on her face. It jolted me back to the present. This bright, intelligent, beautiful little girl was worth all the apples, and branches, and yes, even the trunk, that her Nona had invested in her father over the years. How proud I felt, in that moment, that he had grown into such a good man, caring husband, and loving father. Yes, this tree was definitely happy. So I gulped and continued on until I finished the book. Then we went and had some applesauce.
For more on Enlightened Grandparenting visit Nona Nita's Nook
and click My Path Productions for ideas that support conscious living .
without tears welling up in my eyes. Suddenly, at right about the place where the boy carries off the tree's branches to build a house, it started, and although I struggled with my voice, by the time I got to the part where the boy cuts down the tree's trunk for his boat, the cat was out of the bag. My granddaughter looked up at me from my lap, pointed at my face and said "Tears". I was caught! I was caught in a reverie that the child could not even begin to understand. How could she know how it felt to hold your child's child on your lap? How can one even begin to describe the overwhelming awe one feels when the realization hits them that their baby has a baby? How could the child comprehend that I was the tree, and that although, like the tree in the book, I had given willingly and was very happy for the successes and happiness of the boy, the fact remains that time is marching on and the proof of it was sitting, all comfy and cozy, in my lap? Yes, there she was with a hint of her father's expression dancing on her face. It jolted me back to the present. This bright, intelligent, beautiful little girl was worth all the apples, and branches, and yes, even the trunk, that her Nona had invested in her father over the years. How proud I felt, in that moment, that he had grown into such a good man, caring husband, and loving father. Yes, this tree was definitely happy. So I gulped and continued on until I finished the book. Then we went and had some applesauce.
For more on Enlightened Grandparenting visit Nona Nita's Nook
and click My Path Productions for ideas that support conscious living .
So touching..obviously i like the article. Gives me great motivation to read to my 3yr old son regularly. God willing, let me have a chance to read the same story to my grandchild too!
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That was simply beautiful!
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