Steve wore a leather farmer's hat, which he soon changed for a smart pork-pie with a feather; I wore a straw hat which made my head itch; Alexander had a black top hat with blue band; and William wore a sherriff's hat, with its badge freshly glued back on. (Both boys later tried on almost all the hats in the two large hat-boxes provided.) We also carried a plant. All this, in response to an invitation to a 65th birthday party, and the promise of MAGIC! And indeed, magic there was, of varying kinds: from balloon-animals, to card tricks, to mind games. There was also the more special, lasting magic of meeting new people; learning more about acquaintances; and seeing the delight of our children as they drank it all in. As parents, we are called to create memories with and for our children; and that party was such a time. Happy Birthday, Cynthia.
An aside: the party reminded me of a line I once heard, "I've been to a marvellous party..." It was recited by a fellow school-girl, in a tipsy voice, at an Eisteddfod or concert...
When I searched for the words, I found a rather drawn-out song by Noel Coward; but this particular part is the verse I recall:
I've been to a marvellous party
I must say the fun was intense;
We all had to do
What the people we knew
Might be doing a hundred years hence...
We talked about growing old gracefully,
And Elsie - who's seventy-four -
Said, "A) It's a question of being sincere,
And B) If you're supple you've got nothing to fear” -
Then she swung upside-down from a chandelier!
And I couldn't have liked it more!
From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/ive-been-to-a-marvellous-party-nol-coward-lyrics-divine-comedy.html ]
No comments:
Post a Comment