Children of the New Forest

When I was little my Mom and Dad would read us bedtime stories every night, I have no clue why we do not do this with our kids. After all it was one of my favorite parts of the day.

We would snuggle up and look at the pictures while my parents read us a story. Most of our books came from the library where the librarians knew exactly who we were. I'm quite sure that in my Moms case she was continuing what was done for her as a child because when I think of my childhood and my moms parents Books play a key part in it.

Unlike our bedtime routine with my parents, my Mormor would often read chapter books to us. I remember her reading to my older cousins and finding it boring and for some reason I have a distinct memory of sitting down and really listening for the first time and becoming surprised that not only did I follow the story with out seeing any pictures but I was very interested in everything I heard. Since then I was hooked.

Once our family went to a summer vacation home by the beach. I do not remember much about it and I may have my facts completely wrong but this is what i remember. I know that this was a place that we rented. Normally we would go to a home that was owned by my grandmothers aunt and let everyone use, but for some reason this one time only we actually rented a place. It was modern compared to the house in Vejers. I did not like it nearly as much. in many ways it was just another house. Where was the romance in that? I remember that there was a tray on the coffee table with smooth rocks from the beach and that we drew on them. My Mom made a point of finding some to replace them and I think she was a little concerned that they were not as smooth and rounded by the waves as the ones not covered in markers.

I should mention that this was not us misbehaving. We often would decorate rocks.

while in this vacation home I was bored. There was however my Mormor and a small book shelf. She picked up a very used old looking forest green hardback with yellow uneven pages, minus a few missing part way through, and started reading. It was my kind of story. A group of siblings on their own trying to live in the wild, encountering allies, enemies, hardships, romance and in the end it all works out, but not until after they have been through loss and tragedy, in an era long since passed. When it was time to leave the summer house behind the still unfinished book came along. Do not ask me if this was right or wrong, I have no clue what happened behind the scenes in the world of adults, I just know that I felt guilty for wanting it, and have ever since wondered if any one ever missed it, did we leave a replacement behind? Did we ask first? Did we pay for it?

This book became a regular for me and Mormor, she had a shelf of books that she rotated through and this one was requested again and again and again. In spite of that I can't really remember any details or even major plot. Though I do not really care, I still love it.

The book is....

Children of the New Forest by Captain Frederick Marryat.

One Fine day I am going to have a copy of it again and I am going to revisit those fond old memories all over again. This time it will be in English though and I I'll finaly figure out what happens on those missing pages.

Then i will read it to my kids and maybe just maybe it will be one of the books they ask me to read again. So here's to the past and all the beauty it holds and here's to the future so full of possibilities yet to be determined and discovered and most of all lived.