Sometimes there are issues that family's don't talk about. They are topics that are quietly left alone. Often they are things that were disagreeable and hurtful.
For example , when my brother and I were about 13-14 , we asked Dad if we could have a motor cycle. Dad said no. We went behind Dad's back and bought a motor cycle. Dad didn't make us sell the motor cycle but it was never talked about until dad was about 80. Then it was funny.
A little less than a km from my house is a heavily forested ravine. There are old growth spruce trees that are about 80 -90 ft. high.
Today I was talking to my daughter about a little platform I found high in a spruce tree. She said that's probably one of mine. I said, "What ? You were never out there." She told me that she spent much time climbing trees in the woods. She said, "I was a good tree climber." This was when she was about 10. My kids were free range kids so she easily could have done this.
What I remember most is a little kid who played endlessly with toys like blocks and Lego. She also read a lot. She also bounced. She would sit on a chesterfield and bounce back and forth for a few minutes. She would hum along with the bouncing. In the car she bounced hard enough that you could feel it when you were driving.
So it was surprising to hear that this quiet little girl climbed trees.
I always wanted a tree house. Not too many good trees in Oklahoma though. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteMy kids had a pretty substantial tree house at the lake.
DeleteHow lucky to live close to a forest, especially if you like being in nature and bird watching.
ReplyDeleteLess than a km away from the house is a ravine that is heavily forested.
DeleteI climbed trees when we moved to an area with climbable trees age 11.
ReplyDeleteIt gives you a private peaceful space...
Yes, I can see you sitting up in a tree being very quiet.
DeleteOnce a child starts nursery/school or whatever and leaves the home/mum and dad environment, we have to realise that they have a life that is now their own. Whether they tell you about it or not is up to them. Jt is lovely when they tell us things years later about which we had no idea isn't it? You would probably have banned the tree-climbing had you known!
ReplyDeleteYour last sentence is so true.
DeleteA tree house sounds fun. It is a surprise you did not know it was there.
ReplyDeleteTake care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
We don't know what goes on it in others' heads and lives.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a communication gap.
DeleteWhat a wonderful story. I am glad you had a tree climber in your family. :-)
ReplyDeleteShe was/is a climber in many other ways.
DeleteYour girl has great memories of her free range childhood!
ReplyDeleteShe appreciates the freedom she had when she was a kid.
DeleteI often hear stories from my children of things they did that I never knew about or maybe I did but I had forgotten. Luckily, we can happily laugh about them.
ReplyDeleteAt the time we are sometimes upset with a child . Looking at it later , it doesn't seem that serious.
DeleteYup, as a free-range kid we were all over the place and played and climbed a lot in that ravine area. Can't say for sure the platform up in the tree in your picture was the handiwork of me and my friends. What can I say? I was - and still am - a person with varied skills and interests. I still enjoy reading. I still have Legos and sometimes play with them (my husband's thoughtful and fun gift).
ReplyDeleteThe "bouncing" was a coping mechanism for high anxiety, which I still deal with, although in different ways now.
You are a person who is still climbing , just not climbing trees.
DeleteRed, I’m surprised to hear that you bought a motorcycle even after your Dad said not to. It’s interesting to hear you reveal these family secrets. 😊 Now, it’s also interesting to hear your daughter may have built that platform high in the spruce tree. I’m gonna give her high marks for that! 😊 John
ReplyDeleteI was rebellious and pushed the boundary. My daughter is still a climber today. She has her own consulting business. Check Janey Canuck's comment. That's my daughter.
DeleteI love looking back and remembering the things we did as kids and did not tell our parents... especially if they had already told us not to. I guess that's partly what growing up is all about. (NewRobin13)
ReplyDeleteI guess some of us like to operate outside the box.
DeleteI love these stories!
ReplyDelete(ツ) from Jenn Jilks , ON, Canada!
I fessed up to a few secrets to my parents when I was older and the statute of limitations had run out. They even surprised me with a few of their own.
ReplyDeleteI like the statute of limitations term.
DeleteSounds like an active child, good for her!
ReplyDeleteActive child and very active adult.
DeleteThey don't tell us everything. Shows independence of thought.
ReplyDeleteIn my case it was rebellion.
DeleteOh, the things you don't know! I know my kids have secrets.
ReplyDeleteThose secrets will probably come out sooner or later.
DeleteI'm grateful that we too were free-range kids back in the days before helicopter parents. Glad I came by, Aloha from Honolulu
ReplyDeleteIt is truly amazing how much we learn the older we get 😄!
ReplyDeleteI love this little story, Red! I find out a little more about my kid's childhoods every year.😳
ReplyDeleteThank heavens your daughter did not fall to her death all those years ago. I guess that you and Jean were busy watching game shows on TV.
ReplyDeleteI love that she had this secret for so long, and just shared it with you!
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I climbed our tall mango tree all the time. I figured my mom didn't know, but she told me later that she figured that's what we were up to.
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty high spruce tree. How in the world did she get a platform up there? Wow!