Yet again, Mari, we are kindred spirits! This series has rung so true for me: from being not-so-naturally-playful to listening to Free to Be on repeat (I’ll have to dig around my mom’s basement to see if my album is still there), your words continue to echo my experiences and thoughts . . . and I continue to be grateful for you and your writing!
I have one hilarious story about a parenting mistake I made. We took a family trip to Harper's Ferry once and Arthur and I sent the kids to the "John Brown Wax Museum" and went to get a coffee. Maybe that already sounds like a bad idea. I LOVED wax museums when I was a kid (now I find them creepy) and thought they would like it and enjoy doing it alone. Instead, they HATED it and still occasionally, even though they are all adults, talk about when Arthur and I sent them to the John Brown Wax Museum and went out to have coffee together without them. SIGH. If this is the worst thing I did as a parent I won't feel too bad about myself, but point taken, don't send the kids to do "fun" things I'm not willing to do myself, even if I would have enjoyed that as a kid. And tbh, the John Brown wax museum is kinda creepy.
Also, Free to be You and Me--yowza. We played it for our kids. It's still awesome and, sadly, timely.
Ha! That is a great story! My kids’ own version of parental oppression is all the cathedrals I dragged them through during our many trips. When they joke about it, I, like you, think, Well, if that’s the worst they’ve got, that’s not so bad! Too many cathedrals?!
Yet again, Mari, we are kindred spirits! This series has rung so true for me: from being not-so-naturally-playful to listening to Free to Be on repeat (I’ll have to dig around my mom’s basement to see if my album is still there), your words continue to echo my experiences and thoughts . . . and I continue to be grateful for you and your writing!
Thank you for these kind words! Here’s to unplayful solidarity!
Yes! Well done, Mari. And Free To Be was the anthem of our childhoods. How lucky were we?
Yes! We were so lucky!
Thanks to your reminder I just ordered the album for our barnbarn (grandchild) to add to her Easter Basket :)
A perfect gift!
I have one hilarious story about a parenting mistake I made. We took a family trip to Harper's Ferry once and Arthur and I sent the kids to the "John Brown Wax Museum" and went to get a coffee. Maybe that already sounds like a bad idea. I LOVED wax museums when I was a kid (now I find them creepy) and thought they would like it and enjoy doing it alone. Instead, they HATED it and still occasionally, even though they are all adults, talk about when Arthur and I sent them to the John Brown Wax Museum and went out to have coffee together without them. SIGH. If this is the worst thing I did as a parent I won't feel too bad about myself, but point taken, don't send the kids to do "fun" things I'm not willing to do myself, even if I would have enjoyed that as a kid. And tbh, the John Brown wax museum is kinda creepy.
Also, Free to be You and Me--yowza. We played it for our kids. It's still awesome and, sadly, timely.
Ha! That is a great story! My kids’ own version of parental oppression is all the cathedrals I dragged them through during our many trips. When they joke about it, I, like you, think, Well, if that’s the worst they’ve got, that’s not so bad! Too many cathedrals?!