My daughter Nell just turned 14 two days ago, on Monday, the Winter Solstice. Then I turned 40 the following day. Now I am thinking back to when I started this art blog five years ago. In September, 2015, I wrote a post about how my daughter and I would get up early and look at art books together. I wrote:
“For the past year, my 8-year-old daughter Nell has been getting up very early in the morning to spend time alone with me while the others are still asleep. We creep downstairs together quietly and I make some tea and coffee. Then I let Nell choose one of the many big art books on my bookshelf, stuffed with full-color reproductions of beloved paintings. And then we sit, slowly turning the pages, talking about our favorite artists, snuggled under our blankets, until the boys came downstairs wanting breakfast.”
8-year old Nell (and me) looking at an art book, September 2015 (over 5 years ago)
As I re-read the old blog post, I am warmed by those sweet memories. A lot has changed since then. Nowadays, Nell and I rarely look at art books together, although we do have other ways of connecting. Naturally, as a teenager she has her own separate interests, and usually she prefers to read her own novel in the mornings. But, once in awhile, when the mood is right, we do sit down together and open up a couple of art books, just like old times.
Further Reading: Birth Day