Show & Tell Friday: A Child's Forever Gift

"Only where children gather

is there any real chance of fun."

- Mignon McLaughlin

Rory's large brown eyes sparkled with excitement, as he proudly extended his arms towards me. At first I could not quite make out what my son was clutching in his tiny hands. "Here mommy, I made this for you today." It was a porcelain tile that he had painted for me. My first gift, from my first child! It was Spring 2004. I had been a mother for nearly 4 years, had given birth to my daughter [Sage] nearly 6 months before, had had countless moments of Mommy joy and frustration. But, I realized that that moment was truly momentous. For this Show & Tell Friday, I contribute one of the most precious things of mother's everywhere: my first Forever Gift...

The backside. Doesn't it look like a piece of Modernist art? Of course the best part is my little man's name written in red Sharpie - what's more Modernist than that?

For a few years my prized trivet sat on my nightstand - a treasured piece to place a cup and saucer of French Presse, or a glass of Champagne or Cabrernet upon. It currently has an honored place on my atelier's desk. Over the years, some of the paint has flaked off and I knew that if I didn't do something, my first child's forever gift would be ruined - this just would not do! The other day, I channeled my crafty-self and applied some dimensional adhesive to the surface. Now it will last forever ;-)

A brilliant work of art

A little worn from use and time, put that's just 'patina'

Since that beautiful Spring afternoon in 2004, I've compiled a sizable collection of Forever's Gifts from all of my children, and their art pieces are all over my home - though I must admit most of them are in my atelier ;-) Because of nature and nurture, my three are gloriously free. And it is most evident in their art. Rory, Sage, and Never's bold and effortless use of color, shape, material(s), and size in their art continuously inspire me and bring me joy. Their art pieces are finer than anything hanging in a Paris museum; their love is sweeter than ice cream. On each of my children's Forever Gifts are their names and the year. But I don't need the year to be written on my first gift - I'll remember it forever.

Vivre! Rire! Aimer!

Temple