Books

I dreamt about books last night. Maybe because I allowed myself the joy of getting some new books at the library this week. I dreamt about finding some of the books that I read when I was a child. I have a couple that I have carried with me from country to country; the Chronicles of Narnia, the Little House on the Prarie Series, and the Anne of Green Gables series. I remember how dissapointed I felt when I found out that Marinda doesn't like any of these books! To me, these are books that define my childhood. They are a tangible record of something that I enjoyed doing as a child. These books, and others, have shaped me. And I had hoped to pass on some of this legacy to my kids. Now I just find other ways to pass it on!
The weird thing is that there are not many ways to relate to my kids in how they're growing up. I don't know what it's like to grow up in Holland, to know the same people the whole time. I still don't understand the social etiquette that's needed on the playground, or the unspoken rules about how to celebrate birthdays or which presents to give the teachers at what point in time. I'm experiencing all these things for the first time, just like the kids. That's why I'm so looking forward to showing them Ethiopia, the school I went to, the house I lived in, the atmosphere I grew up in, the food I ate. I'm hoping that it will give them a feel for how I grew up. It's not the most important thing in the world, but I get a lot of pleasure from thinking about it!