Nope, I don't have a whole lotta memories to go on. But I have this one. It must be from September when I was in second grade, because the accident that claimed two lives and injured the other two of us happened on October 5, and academic prowess was no longer an issue.
(Please understand that I grew up way out in the country and attended a small rural school where the teachers performed miracles every day on a shoestring budget. So if I stood out in any way, it was only because the pond was very tiny. Which was confirmed for me some years later when sports, geometry, and chemistry were introduced into into my life, accompanied by the concept of Failure.)
**********
We are in the car, and my mommy says:
"Your daddy and I have been talking, and we wonder if you would like to skip into third grade?"
"NO."
"No? Really? We thought that you might enjoy it."
"No. Second grade is when we learn to write cursive. In third grade everyone writes everything in cursive and I wouldn't know how and everyone would tease me for being stupid."
"I don't think they would do that, sweetie."
"Yes, they would. Skipping second grade would be a Very Bad Idea. It would be a Terrible Idea."
"Do you want to think about it?"
"No."
"OK."
**********
I was all grown up and in law school when someone pointed out to me, Your mother listened to you.
Oh Robin...indeed she listened to you. I'm holding you in my prayers for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Robin- a precious memory to have. My mother died when I was 15. I recently saw a photo that had all four of us girls in it, and my two youngest sisters still seemed so small. It was not much more than a year later that Mum died, so I realised how very young they were to lose her.
ReplyDeletegreat indeed. made me smile.
ReplyDeleteLove you.
ReplyDeleteWe went to a Day of Reflection ending Joe's 3rd (of 5) year in the Diaconate Formation program.
The topic of the day: Metanoia.
:)
Totally made me smile. And think of you.
All day.
Cindy, I would love to hear what they had to say!
ReplyDeleteKiwi, I thought the same thing when my boys turned four - the age my brother was -- how incredibly small and young they were.
ReplyDeleteSweet mama, good mama. Still looking down on you in love. Gone, but not forever. I hope I get to witness that reunion.
ReplyDeleteYou were already using logical argument in 2nd grade. Why does that not surprise me? =)
ReplyDeleteWhat a loving and insightful mother you had.