Sunday, March 1, 2015

A Proust moment

I'm a first time SOLSCer. I'm looking forward to the challenge of writing every day and to reading other posts!

It's Sunday and time for errands. It's a bright, sunny day in Chicagoland and warmer than it's been in weeks, though that means it's about 25 degrees. But it's sunny! And not unpleasant to be out, driving to the store, listening to Anderson and Roe play Mozart.

My first errand was to Michael's, the arts and crafts store. My 4th graders are finishing up their clay terrains, demonstrating that they know their landforms and bodies of water, and we have run out of green and brown clay. I walked through the door into the store and a physical pang of nostalgia hit me in the chest as I looked at the rows of craft supplies. The many times my daughter and I shopped for craft supplies here came rushing back.

My daughter Jamie has always loved arts and crafts. She even had an art birthday party one year. We had a crayon cake and the kids all made crafts. She was in heaven.

She created many of her projects all on her own, but we did rubber stamping together and I taught her how to make a baby quilt. It was a wonderful way to spend time together. And we shopped for supplies together, taking our time, looking, thinking about projects.

She's now 24 and living in nearby Chicago while she finishes a masters degree in music. She plans to move to Houston in the fall for further study. She's still crafty -- for Chanukah she surprised us with a set of coasters she had made. But all those trips to Michael's, those times making things together are done. I'm proud of her and I want her to leave home and follow her dreams, but I'm also sad because of the parts of our lives together that are ending. And so I stood for a moment in Michael's Arts & Crafts, feeling the tears welling up, but not spilling out.


9 comments:

  1. I have this happen to me already and my son is only 9!

    Are you going to share this post with her?

    Welcome to the SoLC community!

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    1. Thank you! I wasn't going to share with my daughter because I don't want her to feel guilty that she's moving away, but I'm reconsidering now. Thanks for your comment!

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  2. Life is change - I'm a fellow slicer too - my girls are in 11th grade - I am very conscious that we are all in a big transition. I'm glad that we are creating community here.

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  3. Wow...so heartfelt! It's amazing when we open our eyes to the little things around us, how strongly we we can connect on an emotional level! Make sure you share this with your daughter. Your class project sounds engaging! Wish we were doing that instead of testing. :)

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    1. The kids had fun creating their terrains AND when we (my partner and I) tested them, they really knew the material! Success! Thanks for your kind words.

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  4. I know the feeling! I have children in college and in high school. The days of stringing beads, playing with clay, and coloring seem to be gone. However, I still love to create, so I now create things that I enjoy giving. It seems to me, you still enjoy creating and are now doing that with your students. What a gift you are giving to them! Not all teachers would buy green and brown clay for their students to use to learn.

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  5. Welcome to SOL. I love how your errand turned into memory lane.. That happens to me a LOT lately. I go someplace and I remember my kids, and what my life was like not that long ago. I guess that is what SOL is for....jogging those memories as we shop for necessities!

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  6. It's so easy to relate to your post. My boys are 23 and 28 and everyday I feel those pangs. Its a bittersweet time. Writing is such a good way to express ourselves.

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  7. Welcome to the Slice!. I love the French Horn....the sound is so pure and touches the soul. Isn't it amazing how walking through the doors of a store can bring a flood of memories? How fun that you and your daughter shared doing crafts together. My step-daughter is talented in that way...and made us coasters one year for Christmas! I envy those with such talent.

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