For Christmas my sister gave be a boxed set of the Anne of Green Gables books. This may seem like a simple thing, but as with most events in my life has much deep implications and symbolism than what lies on the surface.
I am Mary. I want to be Anne. Mostly because there’s more than one way to spell her name and I wish I could say “Mary with a y” the way Anne says “Anne with an e”. I feel like that one letter holds all the magic that is Anne Shirley Blythe and desperately wish that I could explain all that I am in just one letter.
My connection to Anne started at a young age when my sister and I discovered the movies. My connection to these books however, started when I was just out of college and worked as a teacher’s aid in a 3 year old pre-school classroom. During naptime I had literally nothing to do and so walked up to the elementary library and for once and for all picked up that “Anne of Green Gables” book I had said so many times I wanted to read and dove in. I never looked back. Surrounded by cots of sleeping children I would escape the new life changes, work stresses and stupid boys of my 22nd year of life and find myself surrounded by kindred spirits, pine forests, and peaks of the ocean through a garret window.
What does that have to do with me now….3 years later, married and working in a different state as a lead teacher of waddlers? Simply, Anne grows up and so do I. She marries and moves away and meets new people and so have I. Anne and I will always be kindred spirits. And knowing that there is a race that knows Jacob keeps me on the look-out for new faces that belong to it.
In addition to loving the Anne of Green Gables stories I also love art. And since being transplanted from New England to Kentucky and setting down roots I have been searching for ways to feed the art part of me. So with more inspiration from my beloved sister I will endeavor to join these two loves.
The challenge: Beloved quotes of deep truth or simple joy married with photography. One picture for each quote. Sometimes obvious and others not. Not always in the order they fall in the book. Pictures to be taken by me on my very not professional digital camera and edited with very not professional software. One post a week for as long as it takes me to read through the whole series. (Note: I work full time and have a house to keep….I will not blow through these books. I promise)
Isn't it funny that your mother, as a young girl said she would never name a girlchild Mary - much too plain, much too common and much too much heavy with biblical reference. And then along you came- Mary, named for a great gradnmother of great strength and creativity and because it simply was your name. And then your sister named you Mimi and your mom thought that was way to exotic for such a sweet baby but still - it stuck. And then you graduated from High School and said "My name is Mary" and it is and thughts of who a Mary is will always hold a creative and sparkling joy for me. I am looking forward to reading your future posts and maybe, finally, pick up those books myself.
ReplyDeleteHooray for new adventures! i'm so proud of you for stretching your gifts this way!
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