Saturday, June 05, 2010

Belief in Magic

Frogs dominated a creek near my childhood home. Constantly handling these creatures, I believed the myth that my countless warts resulted from this activity. My grandfather explained that wrapping a hand-spun strand of wool around the warts, and burying the fibre on the south side of the house under my bedroom window would remove the unsightly bumps. I allowed his patient hands to circle each bulge, and caringly plant the contaminated strand in a soft earth mound as I watched. Waking the next morning to wart-free hands, my wonder at the results superseded rational nay saying. My appreciation for the magical power of belief in acts of kindness prevails.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Wants and Needs

One blistery winter storm, I asked my grandfather (Avi), Thorvalder to go to the store for much needed glue to complete a school project. Either his deafness or my poor explanation of what I wanted was the reason for his return with dressmaker’s coloured transfer paper, where you could draw on the back and lines of orange, green, purple, blue, yellow or red would show up on fabric. Having braved the blizzard for my benefit, he handed me this prize with his one yellow tooth brimming with accomplished joy. My 8 –year-old heart didn’t have the will to tell him the packet of drawing sheets was not what I asked for. I am recalling this now, remembering that what you think you want is not necessarily what you need.