3 chapters…
01.
It was my daughter’s 21st birthday, and in her honour, we had a family lunch at our house. A long expanse of table for twenty, a four course Italian feast, much celebration. And speeches, of course. When I was reflecting on what I wanted to say, it was really about illuminating those moments from her earliest days, through every stage of her life, when she showed signs of who she is today. Those signals of the person she was to become from her baby babble or toddler’s will or teen’s perceptiveness. It was all there, actually. Who she is now. Who she has always been. And this truly delighted me. That as parents, we hadn’t stamped that out of her. And that life hadn’t beaten it out of her either. That she could be, inherently herself. My wish for her is that this continues, now and always.
02.
The speech made me reflect on the signs and signals that punctuated my life. I always knew I wanted to be a writer but it was only a desirous feeling, nebulous, really, nothing I could pinpoint. Until, I looked back. To that time I lived in a small country town and read every suitable book in the library so they had to send more books from the city. To time I had a teacher name me as a writer, something I hadn’t been able to name myself, as yet, and no one else had noticed either. To the time that I believed enough to begin writing something and finish it even though it never got near publication. All the signs were there, leading me here.
03.
Leading me to today. Where winter has finally hit. After the season began with far too bright a skies and moderate temperatures, it’s finally here, all wind and rain and fog. And it’s glorious. Fire roaring. Cats snuggled. Writing to you. And wondering, about your signs and signals from younger years. Those hints and whispers of you and your keen desires and idiosyncratic interests and, just plain, curiosity. Wondering where that’s led you. Because there’s probably a through line of some sort that might be interesting to tease out, acknowledge, marvel at, even. ‘Little you’ who knew something ‘Big you’ is grateful for or admiring of or in awe of. Wow, just wow. We knew more than we thought we did. On some level, we really knew ourselves.
3 endnotes…
I am VERY late to the party but my kids downloaded the NY Times games app onto my phone and I’m now a daily Wordle and Connections player. That Connections one is tough! Have you tried it? Weird combos, words with double meanings, red herrings. So yes, lots of fun!
I’ve just finished reading, Mixtape by Jane Sanderson about that boy who gave you that mixtape back in the day, coming back into your life serendipitously, and showing you what could have been. It’s being made into a TV series starring Teresa Palmer and Jim Sturgess. This is a wonderful book and will make a fantastic TV series too. Recommended!
It’s actually birthday season in our house. My husband’s was in late May, my daughter’s in early June, and mine is this week. Only our son had the audacity to choose a birthday at the end of the year. I’m having a low key birthday apart from that little old book launch event happening this weekend. You are so welcome to join us if you’re free. Register here.
Over to you…
Is there something you loved when you were young that you still love now? Acknowledge the wisdom of ‘Little you’ by sharing in the comments :)
xxx
Jodie.
Happy (early) birthday!
Snacks!
And happy birthday to you three!