We all have fears. Fear of spiders, fear of the dark, fear of being left out.
They Will Grow Up : Reminders from Neverland
JM Barrie’s Peter Pan has always been one of my favorite stories. As a child I was mesmerized by Mary Martin’s stage performance, and, as an early reader, the book was one of the first “literary classics” I read. I loved it all. The flying, the pirates, the adventure, the humor. I wanted to BE Peter Pan.
Last night, I went with one of my sons to watch a stage production of Peter Pan. Watching him take in the show was the highlight of my night. The way his eyes lit up as the crocodile slithered onto stage. His whisper as he asked if Peter Pan would really drink the poison Captain Hook left for him. The treasured moment when he showed he believed in fairies by enthusiastically adding his claps to the audience’s to bring Tinkerbell back to life.
Afterwards, I told him how much I loved the story of Peter Pan as a child. I told him I once tried to catch a fairy by setting a sparkly, sticky trap, knowing that if I could just get some fairy dust I might be able to fly. I listened as he planned out loud, adding his 21st Century revisions to my simplistic fairy trap. (It was a much better design after adding cameras, robotic arms, and sparkle-sensors.)
As I drove home I thought of how much that night resembled the last scene in Peter Pan. Only moments before, Wendy returns home from Neverland. With one quick scene change, Peter arrives at the nursery to find Wendy a grown woman, her own child sleeping nearby. While Peter never did grow up, Wendy has, so her daughter takes her place in the next adventure in Neverland.
While I so vividly remember my childhood fascination with the story of Peter Pan, I am now “ever so much more than twenty” and, like Wendy, I find myself passing the treasured tale on to my own children.
And though I may try to make them promise they won’t grow up, it all seems to happen in the blink of an eye. One simple scene change. [Read more…]
Standing Up for Children and Childhood: If Not YOU, Then Who?
A week ago I had the tremendous pleasure of being a keynote speaker at Arkansas State University’s ECE conference. I met some absolutely wonderful people there and had a fantastic experience getting to know many people and seeing childhood from their eyes.
And the Award Goes To…..
The Academy Awards were held Sunday night.
Savoring Childhood in Neverland
This was originally posted in 2011 as Reminders from Neverland. Childhood seems to move so quickly, but summer is the perfect time to slow down and savor it!
At The Organized Parent: Remembering the “Perfectly Ordinary Days”
Perhaps there’s something about this time of year that’s causing me to be a bit more sentimental. Or maybe it’s simply a job hazard of motherhood. Last week I wrote this post after attending Peter Pan with my son. This week, I’m sharing my thoughts about treasuring childhood over at The Organized Parent. Here’s a taste:
Reminders from Neverland
JM Barrie’s Peter Pan has always been one of my favorite stories. As a child I was mesmerized by Mary Martin’s stage performance, and, as an early reader, the book was one of the first “literary classics” I read. I loved it all. The flying, the pirates, the adventure, the humor. I wanted to BE Peter Pan.