My Jaw Dropped
That was four hours ago, and it's still on the floor. I wish I could scan it in and post it. I wish I could look at it all day. It is a picture of my dad that was sent to me in the mail. My first cousin's baby daughter is in his lap, and he is reading her a story. Their heads are close and they are in their own little story world, not posing for the camera, just reading their story.
She has this expression of "I don't know what you're talking about, but you sure seem nice and this is kind of interesting" on her face. He has this expression of "Well sure it's a big book and you're a little baby, but it's got fun buttons to push and I'll break it down for you and we'll read it together." Or he looks a little like he's going to sneeze if you don't know him.
But mostly I'm in shock because my father just looks SOOOO gentle, and SOOOO patient. Mostly I'm in shock because I'm jealous of my baby cousin. I'm in shock that my first thought when I saw that picture is "I wish I'd felt the patience and gentleness he's exuding in that picture."
She has this expression of "I don't know what you're talking about, but you sure seem nice and this is kind of interesting" on her face. He has this expression of "Well sure it's a big book and you're a little baby, but it's got fun buttons to push and I'll break it down for you and we'll read it together." Or he looks a little like he's going to sneeze if you don't know him.
But mostly I'm in shock because my father just looks SOOOO gentle, and SOOOO patient. Mostly I'm in shock because I'm jealous of my baby cousin. I'm in shock that my first thought when I saw that picture is "I wish I'd felt the patience and gentleness he's exuding in that picture."
posted by Green at 5/09/2006 10:03:00 PM
4 Comments:
I understand what you are saying about your Dad. Parents chhange and mellow out over time, and it's the grandkids or the little cousins that benefit, while we sit there confused. All we can do is see to it that when it comes to our kids we give them the patience and gentleness we didn't get as children.
Dearest, most darling Ms. Yogurt...
WHAT YOU TALKIN' BOUT, WILLIS?
I was there and he did, lots, often. So did I ! More you might not recall.. so did your brother!!! Yes, even when you were very young! You probably got more patience and gentleness than any other kid I have ever met!
Perhaps you would remember this with greater clarity if it happened more frequently. you were so very active, so quick and so clever that you were often difficult to catch or keep up with,so most of our time was trying to either catch you or keep up with you just to protect you from major injury or worse!
Did you really have a doll from Israel? So what if you braided or unbraided her hair!!! Why didn't you just ask me or someone else how to braid if you wanted to know how? or even to do it for you since you say you were really young at the time? Do you remember braiding dough for bread every week, how pretty it looked, how terrific it smelled and how great it tasted to you? Sometimes you didn't want or need help but when you asked for it , you got it...gently,with love and patience!
BTW, do you remember that little kids and dogs seem to have a natural affinity for Dad? Harry is Dr. Doolittle reincarnate
Wow, Green... Is your mother seriously continuously commenting in your blog anonymously? What's the point of anonymity if you're not really anonymous? She seems super-creepy and you must be so glad that you live 2500 miles away from her! I know I would!
I've been reading your blog for a long time and her comments (when I have thought that they were her) always seem to come directly out of left-field and smack of weirdness and a total lack of mental continuity. I would trust your own feelings on your childhood over the way that your mom has processed them. Seems she is in some serious denial about the way that you were treated as a child and that's pretty scary. Whoever was it that said that some of this stuff sounds exactly like cult-member ramblings was totallly on target. Don't let these people brainwash you again!
The comments on this post make me sad. That is all.
C
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