This is a beautifully illustrated book i borrowed from the local library recently, a story of a family's home which grew from log cabins and grows as civilization progresses in America, through the eyes of a grandmother telling her grandaughter about the house they live in and how it came to be. The thing that touched me about this book was the sense of continuity and stability, of staying in the same place, and making it home over so many generations, of hard work and perseverance and resilience.I've lost track of the number of times i've moved houses since childhood, the number of times we've moved countries, cities, suburbs.... As a child, i absolutely loved the moves, and the thrill of what was to come next, of exploring new territory. I look around me now, and it seems like just about everyone i know has moved quite a bit in their lifetime. The last 100 years have seen huge migrations of people across the globe, due to so many things, being displaced by wars and social unrest, seeking safety and a better life in a new place.
As a parent, I sometimes wonder about the effects of so much change on children. I see benefits, such as exposure to different people and places, opening up their mind to what the world has to offer, becoming more adaptable to living in discomfort. But i also wonder wether so much change, coupled with a social norm of instant gratification would result in a person who then craves change for the sake of change, who gets hooked on a fast paced life where we get such a buzz out of it that at the slightest hint of challenging life situations, the first solution that comes to mind is - lets move somewhere else! How do we instill qualities like perseverance, resilience and patience when so many aspects of modern living and of our own lives as parents lean towards quick fixes? Just some of the many perplexing, wonderful learning opportunities that having children has given me.
