Mommy!
January 16, 2015 by 15 Comments
He headed for the school still wrapped in the warmth of this bed, the taste of cereal in his mouth, tightly holding the hand just above his head, walking as quickly as he could, taking two steps for his mother’s one, his little knapsack bouncing on his back, then came the school door, the rapid kiss goodbye, the asphalt playground with its rows of maples, the clanging bell . . . at first he took shelter from the rain under the overhang, then he joined the schoolyard games, but a few minutes later they all found themselves sitting behind Lilliputian desks, quiet and no moving around, all the body’s movements concentrated on the effort of moving the pencil down this low-ceilinged corridor called the line. Tongue stuck out, fingers numb and wrist stiff . . . little bridges, circles, tails, sticks, more little bridges … he is miles from his mother now, lost in this strange solitude called effort, in the company of all those other solitudes with their tongues stuck out . . . and now the first letters are assembled . . . lines of “a’s,” lines of “m’s,” of “q’s” (the “q” is no joke with its diving, backwards tail, but it’s a piece of cake compared to the “s” with its treacherous curves, and the “k” with its spray of lines shooting out every which way), all the difficult ones conquering so that, little by little, as if they were magnetized, the letters come together spontaneously into syllables, lines of mom and dad, and the syllables making words . . . Then, one day, his ears still humming from the commotion of the lunchroom, he contemplated the silent flowering of the word of white paper, there, before his eyes: mommy.
In a voice that quavered at first, he stumbled over the two syllables, separately. “Mom-my.” Then, suddenly, he understood. “Mommy!”… Little bridges, circles and slanting sticks . . . and you could say “Mommy!” There it was, written, right there, and he had done it! Not a combination of syllables, not a word or concept anymore. It wasn’t any mother, it was his mother, a magical transformation, infinitely more eloquent than the most faithful photographic likeness, built from nothing but circles and sticks and bridges, that have now suddenly – and forever! – become more than scratches on paper. They have become her presence, her voice, the good way she smelled in the morning, her lap, that infinity of details, that wholeness, so intimately absolute, and so absolutely foreign as to what is written there, on the rails of the page, within the four walls of the classroom.
Lead into gold.
Nothing less.
He had just turned lead into gold.
~ Daniel Pennac, Better Than Life
Notes:
- Related Daniel Pennac Post: Togetherness Lost
- Image Source: shutterstock
Mama’s Boy. Then. And Now.
August 16, 2014 by 28 Comments
Here’s Eric with his Mom at 9 years old.
And here’s Eric with his Mom last night in front of the restaurant in Norwalk where we had dinner. He’s now 20:
World’s Toughest Job
May 11, 2014 by 20 Comments
Susan, Rachel and Eric asked that I post this clip for you. Happy Mother’s Day!
I’m still standing. The odds were stacked against us.
May 9, 2014 by 18 Comments
“NBA Star Kevin Durant told everyone just how much his mom means to him — just days before Mother’s Day — by thanking her in a tear-jerking speech as he accepted the award for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.”
Quote Source & Find More @ ABCNews.com
Dear Kids
September 5, 2013 by 60 Comments
Dear Rachel & Eric:
I shared the article below from today’s paper with your Mother. She’s gloating: “I told you so.” I’m snarling: “This is utter nonsense.” Mom’s espousing “Let Freedom Reign.” Dad’s fencing is well established and flashing warning signals: “Cross the line, you’ll do the time.”
You three, huddled in your sheltered cocoon, will see the light.
Hang on to this post and drag it out when your children reach adolescence, and ask the following hypothetical (NOT) questions:
- Rachel, your daughter, three days after acquiring her driver’s license, exits a parking lot without looking in both directions, and piles into an oncoming car – – causing $4,000 damage to your car. Do you blow her a kiss and tell her: “Honey, the best way to deal with this is to get back up on the iron horse.”
- Eric, if your son backs your car into his friend’s rock wall, shredding the rear of the car, do you tell him: “Son, mistakes happen. Please be sure to take more care next time.”
- Rachel, your daughter is laying on the couch watching three consecutive episodes of New Jersey Housewives. You are exhausted from being up early, frazzled from working late and from your commute home – – and you are in the midst of preparing dinner. You ask her to walk the dog three times and she ignores you. Do you walk up politely and say: “Honey, could you please help me out here? Or, are you tired from your difficult day at school?“
- Eric, your son is on his second hour of Playstation and has ignored your 2 prior calls for bedtime. Do you walk up to him, sit down and ask: “Son, could please put down the game, get undressed and go to bed.“
Do these stories sound familiar? Hmmmmm. Right.
Being a parent, your Parents, has been our greatest blessing.
I can’t wait to watch you shine.
Love,
Dad
P.S. Re: Having children. Absolutely no need to rush into things.
Study Says Yelling Is As Hurtful as Hitting [Read more…]
Family: A Postcard from 1952
May 12, 2013 by 10 Comments
Loved this…back in a “simpler” time.
“Postcard From 1952” – Explosions in The Sky from peter simonite on Vimeo.
As it should be…
February 21, 2013 by 13 Comments
My daughter Rachel’s response when I shared this with her: “hahahahhahahahahahhaa so so true!!!!”
Source: themetapicture.com
Yup. Nailed it.
October 9, 2012 by 48 Comments
Guest Post: Eric to Mom
May 13, 2012 by 9 Comments
Mom,
Happy Mother’s Day! Thank you for:
- Putting others before yourself
- Killing bugs in my room for me
- Always being so optimistic and finding something positive to say
- Making me yummy breakfast
- Teaching me that winning isn’t everything
- Being so forgiving
- Defending me until the end (mostly from Dad)
- Caring and teaching me the importance of caring for others
- You personify that "good things come in small packages!"
I found this video and I thought you would really enjoy it. (And btw, this blog post is in lieu of a card and flowers – I thought it would be more personal than Hallmark and FTD). 

Love you,
Eric

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