Tuesday was the first full moon of January 2018. What a special way to begin 2018.
The moon has always been a source of inspiration to poets, painters and writers; it plays such an important role in our imaginations.
One of the first things my grandchildren learned to say was the word "moon." In fact, my grandson (who is still tiny) grabs hold of my hand and leads me to the door wanting me to take him outside and lift him up to the sky, while he points, reaches, and repeats in wonderment, 'moo, moo.'
Somehow, he knows there is something marvellous about the great bright orb dangling above him.
I remember as a child gazing up at the moon, never believing my father when he said it was made of cheese. I couldn't bear the thought of it being eaten. I did, however, wonder if there was a man in the moon as I had also been told. This thought excited a stream of questions: What sort of house did he live in? Was he lonely? How did he get there? What did he do all day? What did he look like? Was he ever coming home? Would he fall out of the sky?
Such questions inspired imaginings and story-creating and an early yearning for answers as well as a sense of emotional engagement in the world about me. In my case, my thoughts became philosophical in nature. Thoughts such as: I see the moon, does the moon see me? Or, Is there another me, looking down on me at exactly this moment, wondering the same things I am wondering now? Am I also out there, in the universe? Such thoughts inspired a sense of duality, of something other than me, guardianship, safety. No wonder the moon has inspired such poetry through the ages and is a very effective image for the telling of bedtime stories.
Happy mysterious and magical full moon New Year! Let's never forget to story-weave with our children so that their imaginations have room to flourish.
