December 9, 2009

A Snowflake Story







(Years ago  - I cannot remember when - perhaps the memories get complicated and  the mind can become muddled. Which child did what really? But we did cut outs of paper snowflakes and tried our best to have our cut outs pinned up by the class art teacher. Upon coming back from school I would ask "Did our art piece get selected and pinned up by the teacher? I liked this....and the child would say - yes...OURS was chosen...and I would be happy....I like to get an A+ too for art. (Rather for Mum and child)

And we would forget that they were left handers and could not use the right hander's scissors to cut beautifully. Kids who were left handed could not do cut and paste well because of the scissors provided. Left handed kids in those days had to learn to change to use their right hand. And I managed to buy the first left hander's scissors when I went to Singapore very much later with Mrs. Wiltshire's help. It really benefitted the second girl as she was in Kindergarten then. I still have that pair of left hander's scissors. My eldest daughter did not have the benefit of using that pair of scissors when she was younger and at Kindergarten. And I often wonder whether her right handed (anti-left handers) teachers' treatment of her left handedness would ever dissipate! She was born into the era when all left handers were deemed "different" like in the book "The Chrysalis". But I am glad she has indeed come out of it very tough and able to meet challenges in life with grace.

My mum is left handed. My second sister is ambidextrous (because she had to learn to write with her right hand at school and every thing else she does with her left hand. She is a great seamstress/tailor. But she has to use her right hand.

It did not matter to me if my daughters had C for their cut and paste. They were in the minority and perhaps even marginalised - left handers and teachers did not understand their plight. But we were happy making the snowflakes. We were happy releasing our creative juices. When we ran short of glue we even made our own glue from sago flour.

Today I remember the paper snowflakes we (mother and children) used to cut out...never mind the dirty floor...never mind the untidiness...but we had fun. And I think I had more fun making the paper cuttings of snowflakes...even in our tropical land we were making nice patterns of snowflakes....

I am wondering whether kids and their mums still enjoy cutting out snowflakes today. But this was a great family activity many years ago....)

A Talking Snowflake


Hi
I am your first Christmas Snowflake. This year I am not as magnificent as previous years' snowflakes. I am smaller and my shape is not as sharp. And I will melt faster too as I drop from the skies to the warmer earth.
With global warming this is expected. My friend likes to say that the first pancake is like first love of young person. It is a little malformed and a little lopsided. It is a trial piece. So perhaps she says I am not that perfect myself as your first snowflake. And I will melt faster than my ancestors in the past.


there is  a special decoration from my friend's Christmas tree . My little reindeer friend is a small one. On my friend's Christmas tree he will have an important position because he will remind her of her children in their younger days. This little reindeer has been in the family for many years. She has kept it lovingly in a box and has taken it out year in year out. The little reindeer reminds her of how cute her young children were. How much they had looked foward to Christmas every year! And how patient they were with their parents. They were not disappointed when they did not get the presents they wanted.  Even when they were disappointed the small children were comforted that another year would bring better news and better things in their lives.

My friend loves decorating Christmas trees. Her own is special every year. And she buys some selective  items every year but she keeps the old. Like she keeps her old memories. Each little piece is taken out each Christmas and she sits and arranges the pieces and spends time remembering. When she finally finishes decorating her tree she will swtich on the fairy lights and see them sparkle. How her smile will light up the room too. And all is well for Christmas.

This year her Christmas tree is gold and silver with a lot of white decorations too. I know many of her friends have silver hair. And I know her friends have golden hearts. And I know she is blessed by things more than gold and silver.

Let me wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Your first snowflake......





18 comments:

wenn said...

lovely snowflakes..

Ensurai said...

Thanks Wenn

Every year I spend some time looking at snowflakes in the malls and on line...I wonder when I will be able to catch a real snowflake...

Anonymous said...

Nice reflection on snowflakes. Have a left handed son too.....many problems in the past with teachers. But ok now...he plays guitar left handed but can write with right hand because of special training in Chinese school.

Hope it does not damaage his brain. thanks for letting me know about left handed scissors.

happy mother

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Oh the cruelties to the left handedness. I am sure they are smarter than us. That was what I learnt in psychology. My mum and sis used to be tapped or we used the word "docked" everytime they used their left hand.

Mum was smart in everything. She writes and eats with right, but when she holds a spatula, she used left, and some times both.

My sister, well does a PhD prove anything?

Now I pity my kids in school. They have to have one finger space between words. We give them an icecream stick.

I didn't get it clear, were you left handed and Mrs. Wiltshire help you buy the scissors for you, why didn't you let your daughter use it?

Someone in church told me , every snow flack is different. isn't God's creation a marvel?

Jean said...

hey tat's a nice and lovely deco-ed chris tree

A smile from SJ =)

Ensurai said...

Dear Anonymous
Thanks for writing. Many mothers 30 years ago were harrassed when they had children who were left handed. I have two. In fact one told me I was stupid as a mother!! PR wasn't in every day vocabulary then. But I was hurt deep and bad. I let both my girls use their left hand.
In later life I went for courses on Brain Power and Learning. Left Brained People and Right Brained People are all clever people. And so are left handed and right handed people.

Just be blessed that you have a child.

Ensurai said...

Dear Ann
You have a smart family and your sis has a PhD...I remember your brother was especially smart too.
Your father could have done his PhD too.

I was brought by Mrs. Wiltshire to see the Left Handers' shop in Singapore. By then my two girls are 7 and 4. It was such a comforting period in my life to know that such a shop existed!

My mother always had to use her right hand to cut cloth/thread/paper.

Yes every snowflake is unique. Like us human beings.

thanks for sharing.

Ensurai said...

SJ

Thanks for visiting. I love putting up a Christmas tree every year. In two years' time I shall buy a new tree...see what it will be like then...

But I keep my decorations and have them colour coded in boxes.

It is just one of life's pleasures.

Thanks for your smile.

Kai Grey said...

the tree looks really good. am missing the smell of the house this time of year.

Jay said...

I am very busy this week. will update my blog later with new photos.

Ensurai said...

Hi
Aranti

The tree looks pretty (gold and silver ) So far very simple cooking but will soon start some baking. I learned from Aunty Z one new recipe..which is very easy.

I have even bought the bunga rose acuan and will try to do something (need to buy containers too) after the carpenters have gone.....Cheers.

Ensurai said...

Jay

I can't wait to see your new photos!!

Take care.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family! Going "home" this weekend already.

Justin.

Lee said...

Hi Sarawakania, beautiful tree and love the decorations.
We had our 1st snowfall late last night, continue till noon....sure one real mess, but all white outside.
And now at night, it's beautiful, a bit chilly though, about -7'c.
And the live tall X'mas trees outside all covered with snow.

We have a small X'mas tree just set up....and homes are now hanging out decorative coloured lighting around their house. Looks beautiful, see lights every home .
We're expecting more snow this week, looks like no need to play Uncle Bing's "I'm dreaming of a white X'mas' song, ha ha.

Interesting to read of your wonderful memories of snowflakes....right now behind me stuck on our window are hundreds of snowflakes, they're beautiful in the light.

You have fun and keep well, lee.

Bengbeng said...

i was like yr second sister. i got hit on the hand hard with a ruler everytime i tried to write with my left hand. now i write with my right hand but everything else is left. i
remember she told me ( the teacher ) it is not normal to write with the left hand :D

Ensurai said...

Dear Justin
Have a safe trip home.

And thanks for commenting.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ensurai said...

Dear Uncle Lee
I sang my first "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" last night with the Miri Christmas Concert! Longing for white snow...Santa came too (but from Belgian).

Thanks for saying nice things about my plastic Christmas tree. The old pokok is 8 years old...A little lopsided this year. Don't know why.

Say thank you to some snowflakes for me....

Have a good week...and be careful. Snow can be very slippery.

Ensurai said...

Dear Bengbeng
Didn't know that you were treated bad by your teachers in the same way.

I used to get very upset when my two girls came home with smacked hands...but now ok...they are ok.

Left handed people are smart...eg. Paul MaCartney?Bill Clinton.

Cheers.

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