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......