Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Mother's Legacy

When Mothers' Day draws near my family never fret about presents. It's a well established fact that a book will always impress me more than perfume, chocolates and even jewelry. Yes, incredibly books beat diamonds. So where does this heartbeat for books come from?

It would be safe to put the spotlight on those delicious days when as a little girl my mother would 'read' to me the books she bought each week at the supermarket. Like many of my generation Little Golden Books featured prominently in my tiny library. In our home it was a cardboard shoe box which also held our few toys and got tucked under the couch in a quick tidy up, as soon as we heard Dad swing the back gate at the end of day.
When I say she 'read' the books, what I really mean is Mum made up the story as best she could from the illustrations and her imagination. During my early childhood Mum was just starting to use her limited English, so reading a book, word for word, was not an option. Instead, she told the story in Greek as she saw it, adding emphasis where she thought it belonged and finding the lesson she believed the story held.

Many years later, if you were to ask me why the only two things I have truly yearned for are to be a godly wife and mother, and the opportunity to write, I may just show you my favorite Little Golden Book, Little Mommy. It brings together my two most beloved things - family and books. Is it any wonder the dreams of motherhood and world of books wrapped themselves around my imagination so securely?

Tucked in the warm lap of my Mum I would listen as she told the story of a little girl who lived out my fondest desire. She was a mummy to her collection of dolls and loved them with all she possessed. This was a story I could hear everyday.

If we had our original copy today it could possibly fetch $70 or more on Ebay. Sadly it's no longer among our childhood books. I would never wish to sell it, but I would love to hear my Mum read her version of the story one more time and hear the lessons as a grown up mummy. Today, The Little Golden Book people have re-released this book and someday I may invest in a copy again. Who knows, I may even get the chance to introduce it to another generation of future mums and dads... or writers.
And that thing about me always dreaming about living on a farm? I think I worked that out too! Favorite book No.2 was The Animals Of Farmer Jones.

Thanks Mum for sharing your imagination with me, and showing me what a godly mum looks like everyday. You never really needed a storybook to teach me that lesson.