Day 196-Happy Children's Day

TODAY, Singapore celebrates Children's Day. 

When I was a child, Children's Day merely meant a day away from school. I did not see it's significance. When I became an adult, Children's Day remained like any other Fridays, since I have no children of my own.  

THIS YEAR however, I decided that I should do it differently.

I asked myself, if I were a child again, how should I celebrate Children's Day? 

I think I'll start by remembering my childhood.  

My first memory of home was of a humble one. We did not have much but that did not stop mum and dad from making it beautiful. Mum's green fingers meant we always had plants in the house and she loves flowers so we had them too, especially the plastic ones.

Comfort noises included the constant humming of the sewing machine. That was Mum making her three daughters matching dresses after she saw a pattern she liked in a movie or her mending a torn uniform. These uniforms were passed down from me to SuZ, from SuZ to Shir until we could not wear them anymore. The matching dresses stopped when we became too embarrassed to be seen as triplets. 

Then there were vivid flashes of quiet evenings when we sat or laid on the floor with mum who would be telling us all sorts of stories. One in particular, I will never forget. It was of filial piety, about a son who had to crawl into a snake's stomach to retrieve parts of its gallbladder  for medicine to cure his ailing mother, And even when the mother got well, she wanted more . And so the son kept going into the snake until one day, the snake died and closed its mouth, trapping the son inside, never to be seen again.  Stories that we remember till today and stories my sister will pass on to her children.

Heaven was mealtimes. Home cooked, delicious dishes that would stay with us forever as all time favourites because they meant comfort and love. Food that would remind us of conversations as a family, fights with siblings at dinner tables and life changing decisions like which school, what subjects, boyfriends. My favourite moments were when we were woken up because dad had bought supper. Those were the days when you do not worry about eating before you sleep. They were good times..

Of course there were the times when we broke our parents' hearts. Me especially, being the eldest and the most rebellious. Evil moments too frequent to remember, there were the lies, the screaming and the running away for a whole half day until I was hungry. I went home of course, braving myself for an earful but Mum never said anything. She gave me my food and I ate in silence and she never told dad what I did. I know  I would always be forgiven. And they would pick me up, each and every time that I fell. 

For as long as I could remember, we were taught the meaning of affection. Back in those days, kisses were rare and I love yous even rarer amongst Chinese families but not so in mine. When dad came home from work, we greeted him with hugs and kisses. We bade our parents goodbyes and goodnights with kisses and I love yous. Until one day when a permanent goodbye shook our  perfect world and the dark days came. I am experiencing distorted memories of sleepless nights, silent sobs and many angry moments. It took the family a long long while before we healed but things were never the same again. A single event of  trauma in an otherwise perfect childhood but one that would shape who I am as an adult.  

I think I truly grew up the day I left home. It was year 1 university and I chose to stay in the hostel. I remembered running home when it got too tough during orientation. Things got better though and I learnt how to be neat, wash my own clothes, take care of my meals. Although I told mum since I was 12 that I would be leaving home when I turned 18, she was not prepared for it when it finally happened. I remembered nights when she made dad drove all the way to uni,  the weekends when she insisted that I must go home and the numerous times when I was chided for not calling.  

NOW, are you in the mood for something special?
I found this when I was searching for music for this post.
It is called the Turkish Lullaby.
(If it doesn't load properly, click through the video to the youtube site. It will be worth your while)

 So for all the children in the world, this one's for you:

According to Sufi mysticism, the soul of the child looks down at the world and sees every soul that resides in every woman. When he finds the one that will be able to help him fulfill his life's purpose, he makes his choice. The relationship between the mother and child is no accident. At times the child may reject his mother and wish he had a different one. Remember your soul made the choice for a reason. This woman can help you live your purpose.

Mother to Child Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/mother-child-poems.asp#ixzz1175cPr8s

And to the parents who are experiencing heartbreaks because their children are leaving home, I found this poem for you:  

Children Gather Round by Diane Sibold 

Children come and gather round

Be very still, don't make a sound

This is what I have to say

Keep it with you every day

I wish I had the magic touch

For each of you I love so much

I'd protect you day and night

I'd keep you safe within my sight

But oh so soon this will be

One by one you'll say to me

That you must go, to find your way

Within my sight you cannot stay

That is why I'll make it clear

If you need me I'll be here

Into this world you came through me

So till the day no more I see

Remember here you have a home

Never do you have to roam

Source: Children Gather Around, Children Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/poetry.asp?poem=1218#ixzz1176fMmrm

Yes, I think I shall go home to celebrate Children's Day with mum and dad.

Afterword 

I was experiencing another low in motivations when I saw this picture on Flor's blog. I was immediately inspired. I remembered too how I used to love using repeats in my interiors but had somehow stopped doing that. So I made some rusty cans of flowers for a friend and took photographs of them reminiscence of this picture.  Then yesterday, I read this post on Flor's blog and found out the significance of this dollhouse for her.  That post gave me the impetus to make this one especially as it is Children's Day today.   I made some more rusty cans of flowers , this time for my tribal house and they appeared in all the pictures in this post.

So  this post is for  all the wonderful  mothers I have come to know on blogland and for those of you whom I yet to meet. I dedicate this to you in celebration of your journeys with your children.