Letter 21: Survivor tales, James Herriot, Debussy, and my favorite flashmob.

Jan/Feb 2024

“Haystack at Giverny” Claude Monet, 1886

Notes from Me

Reading: A couple of months ago, I read the middle grade novel Abel’s Island by William Steig. I already liked this author from his quirky and wry picture books. Some favorites to read aloud with my sons are Doctor DeSoto, Pete’s a Pizza, and The Amazing Bone. Abel’s Island is about Abel, a newly-married young mouse who is tragically swept away in a storm and survives a whole year before returning safely home. The mouse goes through stages of resoluteness, panic, resignation, despair, and hope.

As I read this book, I thought about how, in my day-to-day work of mothering and teaching my young sons, I can feel a little like Abel, alone on my own island. I can feel as though I am desperately trying to reach a state of calm. I am trying new tactics, trying hard not to be discouraged by near-constant setbacks. I can feel run aground in a desolate place, eager to get back to my moorings. Like Abel, I go through stages of panic and despair, longing, and determination. His description of being holed up in his log during the long winter reminded me of the consuming yet monotonous nature of caring for my sons when they were babies: “Hardly knowing day from night, Abel slept and kept no schedule, and the days came and left, uncounted.”

Like Abel, when I reach a place of acceptance of what is (rather than grasping for what is out of reach), I notice the ordinary graces around me. He looked closely at a familiar birch tree and “admired the birch’s buds as one admires a friend’s babies.” Sometimes, I notice the pleasant aroma of a candle on my counter, the beauty of the yard weeds my sons placed in a tiny vase on the table, the warmth of my sons’ shoulder nestled against mine as I read a picture book. I might otherwise miss these things in my haste to just get through the day.

“Island in the Attersee” by Gustav Klimt, 1902.

I am motivated ultimately by love - for my sons, yes, but even more - for my Savior and constant companion, Jesus Christ. Unlike Abel, I cannot rely on my determination to get me out of the quagmire and bring me home. But when I remember that I am tethered to my loving Creator, my spirits lift. I can talk to Him anytime. I have a lifeline leading to a faithful God, and He never leaves me stranded.

Reading: This article about older children reading aloud to parents. I am just now entering this phase with my oldest child (age 8), so it was interesting to read about this author’s experience with it. I was familiar with older siblings reading to younger, but I hadn’t heard of having my children read aloud to me. I like the sound of it. “It turns out reading aloud is valuable, both when done by the parent and when done by the child,” writer Ivana Greco concludes.

Listening: Last month I listened to more Claude Debussy than I had in my life. Prior to this, I only recognized the tune of his most famous melody, “Clair de Lune” (from the fountain scene in the movie Ocean’s Eleven). I looked him up and explored his Children’s Corner album, listening to it in the background as I tidied up around the house (or sat, exhausted, on the sofa) in the evenings. I was drawn to his short song, “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum.” As I listened to it over, I tried to think about why I liked it. It is both calming and unexpected, full of pleasing patterns but also playful. He ends it with an abrupt low note. My four year old has been ending all his piano songs with a low thud on the piano key. Maybe that is one reason why I am drawn to this melody. Here’s a little over hour-long video with some of Debussy’s enduring works if you’d like to hear more.

With the Boys

Reading: In January and February, I read aloud stories from James Herriot’s Treasury for Children during lunchtime. These short tales, written by British veterinary surgeon and author, James Herriot, are based on Herriot’s nearly 50 years working as vet in Yorkshire, England. After we finished reading the book, each boy picked his favorite story to reread (my four-year-old liked “The Christmas Kitten”, my six-year-old chose “The Market Square Dog,” and my eight year-old chose “Smudge, the Little Lost Lamb”). The stories are heartwarming and engaging. As I finished the treasury, I felt a new appreciation for the impact one person can have in his community as he takes the time to care for those around him and uses his skills to lift others up. We’ll be rereading these for years to come, I hope.

Listening: Jazz Suite Second Waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich (egg shakers optional). .

In the Kitchen

Eating: I haven’t made a new dish in the kitchen lately. We have eaten some of our old standbys (stuffed shells, jollof rice, naan bread, and chocolate chip cookies), but I have nothing new to share this time around. Instead, I’ll just tell you that you can’t go wrong with corn chips, Mateo’s salsa, sour cream, and cilantro for any meal.

Small Joy

My four-year-old son asking me to play a piano duet with him and then suggesting we play it five more times in a row. It is called “Rodeo” from this book.

Until next time,

Susie

P.S. This may be my favorite flashmob video on the internet - Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”