Kind of hating the movie version of James and the Giant Peach last night (which I was watching for the first time), I pulled out my own copy of Roald Dahl’s story. On the inside cover of the book (long missing its dust jacket), I was startled to see my mother’s handwriting which reads simply: “Craig Kennedy 12/25/76.” It was Christmas and I was 7 years old.
She’s gone now and has been for almost 20 years. For one reason or another, I don’t have any mementos of the life she lived and I’ve always regretted that, but here unexpectedly was one that means more to me than any other I could’ve imagined. It was lost in a way, yet it was near me the whole time and I’m delighted to have rediscovered it a little over a week past Christmas, exactly 36 years after it was given to me.
I love you, mom.
Filed under: Books
Craig, I am deeply moved by this post. There could be no more meaningful memento than this, nor as stirring a tribute to the memory of your mom during the holiday season.
Your mother’s gift to you here is priceless.
The book of course is a treasure, proof too that Mom Kennedy had extremely good taste.
That’s the best thing I’ve read all week and deeply moving. Happy New Year to you, Mr Kennedy.
Thank you both for taking my maudlin late night over-sharing in the spirit it was intended.
This is beautiful. It moved me as a mother, as a daughter, and as your friend.
that’s a lovely story, Craig. That’s one of the things I love about piling stuff… years into the future, you find pieces of the past you never knew existed. We once found an old voucher from our restaurant with my grandmother’s handwriting on it.
That was very touching, Craig. Becoming a parent relatively later in life I now more deeply appreciate than I ever did while my parents were alive what it is to love a child and how much of yourself you invest in them. You may not have many material mementos but your heart, mind, integrity, and creativity reflect and best honor who she and your father were in life.
:-)
What a lovely re-discovery and a lovely, touching post. I never saw this movie but the book is wonderful.
“It was lost in a way, yet it was near me the whole time.”
There’s nothing maudlin about your story, Craig. Your discovery must feel much more meaningful than if you’d remembered it all along. Great stuff!