I think some of my happiest memories are about children: teaching them to talk, playing finger games with them, helping them to memorize poetry, to sing, driving them to speech lessons, to piano, flute and clarinet lessons, paying for their painting lessons, driving them to basketball and volley ball practices, watching them at ruby and base ball games, teaching them to sew – the boys and the girls.
I think my happiness in these moments is best captured by Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, The Swing.
The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside—
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown—
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
Source: A Child's Garden of Verses (1999)
I think my happiness in these moments is best captured by Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, The Swing.
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| Water colour by Wyona Bates |
by Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside—
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown—
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
Source: A Child's Garden of Verses (1999)
Love it! Jane
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane. I have a tip for anyone who is interested in one of my number 1 methods for teaching people to sing, mostly youngsters. You probably have techniques as well, probably the same ones. I am going to share mine on the blog, just incase it might be new to young people.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important things I learned from you was how to speak with children. I know I learned to ask them questions and then just sit and listen to what they had to say. Then ask a follow-up question. Give them the respect you would give an adult. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeletei also have memories of you doing things like putting a nylon stocking over your head, and then chasing the young cousins around (at Uncle Bev's house in Barnwell). I like how you taught me it fun to not only be 'nice', but also to introduce fear and the thrill of escaping!
ReplyDeleteOh, that was a terrible thing to do. I must have learned it from my dad. I hope none of the children needed therapy over that when they got older!
ReplyDelete