Bright Things #5: My Baby Toys, Painted by My Father
One of the themes of The Memory Collectors is our relationship to physical objects — the memories, emotions, and power they hold for us. Every week leading up to the book’s release, I’ll share the story of an object that’s special to me.
This painting was a gift from my father on my 2nd birthday. It shows all of my favorite toys, including the blanket I carried around until it was in shreds. It hung in my bedroom when I was a child and later, in my daughter’s.
I have other pieces of art by my father, but this one is special because he made it for me. Receiving this gift is one of my earliest memories. I remember the painting lying flat on the kitchen table, and my father pointing to each toy, to see if I recognized it.
It delights me that here is a special object memorializing other objects that were once important to me. But mostly this painting reminds me of how loved I was, and am.
One Comment
Laura Reading
It seems creativity runs in your genes. My mom was a storyteller and my dad “assembled” things, probably after he or one us kids broke something else.
I also carried my blanket until it mysteriously disappeared.