Tuesday 26 February 2013

#One Week - Winter '13 - Individual

Winter is such an individual. No one does it like her...

Trees that stand alone like forgotten soldiers. Buds frozen, waiting in line. The earth exposed.

There's no enmeshment of leaves and life.

I've never really considered December a part of the cold one, there's too much anticipation of candles, and wrapping paper, and mulled wine.

Then January arrives, stark with anti-climax.


But if you look closer, then closer still, there are details and clues in the drab and the dreary.

Branches that point like compass points - the new year, full of direction.

There's emerald green holly, coloured glass impressed on painted bark, a friendless pink flower that shouts, "oi, over 'ere mate, c'mon look at me!"

There's yeti prints in snow, icicles like daggers, and feathery frost on dried leaves and pointed shoots.


And then there's an exposed tree trunk - a kind of park totem - that's wrapped in glazed papier mache rings, each one a committed memory of a political hero or an ornament to the dead. 

I realise there are rings both inside and outside the bark. I wonder how much longer the external bands will age before disintegrating into paper flakes, carried on a whisper in the air. Of course the tree won't notice, will carry on regardless.  


Winter the individual, just like my daughter, who's decided she'd prefer to address her parents by their first names instead of mummy and daddy. I don't quite know how I feel about this. And I've had a few raised brows from friends, 'she calls you by your name?'

I've tried to persuade Little A otherwise but to no avail. It's first names only.

But I've convinced myself there's something quite radical, quite liberating about being addressed by my name. It releases me from the narrow confines of 'mummy' - I'm a whole person and my daughter's friend. Our bond is loosened, made flexible, creating, for me, a healthy respect for our separateness. 

Still, I blame Little A's rebellion on the winter, the season of her birth, and that she's an Aquarian -  independent to a fault.

Please call me mummy. Please. 


This is the third day of the seasonal linky One Week. Over the next few days (until Friday) I'll be posting a photograph(s) and a few words that diarises and distills my experience of winter '13. Take a peep at the details here. You can join in for one, two ... or the full five days. And don't forget to add #oneweek on Twitter, and comment on each others posts...


Badge Code ...

<a href="http://older-mum.blogspot.co.uk/p/one-week.html" title="One Week"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7807711152_5f912c7903_m.jpg" width="225" height="169" alt="one week" /></a>

20 comments:

  1. What if she started referring to you as 'Older Mum'. Now that might be weird?! It might just be a phase, a friend of mine went through exactly the same thing with her daughter, but in the end, she just grew out of it.

    Beautifully descriptive post. x

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    1. That would be really weird - have caught her singing the words 'older mum in a muddle' though! I'm hoping it's just a phase :o). Thank you. X.

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  2. Is that why you are moving? Chased out by Yetis? Sounds wild where you live! pickle used to try to call me by my name, I was nt so fussed but the Hubster stamped on it by saying 'you mean Mummy' every time .
    Love the photos too!

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    1. Ha ha ha - very funny! Younger Dad isn't keen on it either, and is trying to do exactly the same thing :o). Thank you.

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  3. My niece did the same thing to my sister for a while, she eventually just got bored with it and reverted back to mummy. We thought at the time, that it was her way of feeling grown up.

    The papier mache rings are very unique, I've never seen anything like them before. A beautiful post as usual Sarah x

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    1. I'm hoping that she will get bored and grow out of it too - I like being called mummy! Thank you Nichola X.

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  4. I'm sure it's just a phase. Maybe if you go along with it and don't question it, she'll get bored of the whole thing more quickly? Know that would probably work with mine!

    I've so enjoyed your posts this week x

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    1. I think so too - I just let her do it, and hope she will grow out of it soon. Thank you very much! X.

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  5. Your words and pictures are so poignant. January was so dark after the Christmas glow, but things are looking up now x.

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    1. Thank you very much! January is a bit of a downer isn't it, but now we are at the end of February, it's starting to perk up. X.

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  6. What a beautifully poetic description of January - probably everyone's least favourite month! Not sure if I would like to be addressed by my first name either but quite cute in a toddler. My daughter tries it every now and again and I view it as cheek!

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    1. Thank you very much. In a toddler, it is sweet, and I just ignore it, but for an older child, it is probably a little cheeky!

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  7. What a fabulous post... Read it twice to get all the details.
    Independant is good... but I understand how you feel. The arrival of spring might change her mind again? xx

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    1. Thank you! I agree - it is good, just wish she'd start calling me mummy again - here's hoping she will in spring! X.

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  8. I knew you'd shame me by finding lots of positive things to say about my much disliked season. Love that tree and what it represents and as for little A and her first name terms. I think it's shows an awareness of you beyond just the things you do for, she is seeing the adult that interacts with other adults and I think that can be considered a positive. However I'm starting to get mum instead of mummy and that slightly upsets me so I'm not sure how I'd react.Keep up the amazing work. xx

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    1. I have found it quite a challenge - it's not my favourite season either :o). I like to think that too - never underestimate children eh? I had the same reaction to you - Little A went from mummy to mum, and now my first name - which I don't mind quite so much. But I do wish she would revert back to mummy. X.

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  9. I love that tree bark - how novel -as is being called by your real name. It's because she hears you address each other by them - so it's a bit hypocritical to expect anything else of her - she will feel, anyhow! They all go through it - and everybody else is right - it's just a phase. Do you find yourself calling yourself 'Mummy' even when they're not around? I do! Beautiful series, as always XX

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    1. It is lovely isn't it - very true about Little A hearing Younger Dad and I calling each other by our first names - why shouldn't she? I quite like it. And yes, I do refer to myself as mummy when she's not around! X.

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  10. Words and images are beautiful as ever.

    I am sure that Little A is just stretching a little with the name thing. I bet you are back to being Mummy and Daddy very soon. And if not... well then it will be something quite special.

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    1. Thank you! I reckon so too! It probably is just a phase, and you are quite right, a win-win either way!

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