Greetings from a snowy day here in Scotland.
This week we have had a surprising cold snap across the UK. It has pulled me back into being at home and hunkering down until it passes. I was already into Spring. The longer days, the light changing and seeing the daffodils pushing up through the ground. I could feel myself moving toward the new season with that lovely sense of anticipation.
I found myself not really that welcoming of this regression in the weather. I was in the space of protest.
"Nooooooo - It is way too cold for this time of year!
I am done with snow."
Then I settled in, got warm and then relaxed into the quiet stillness that the snow brought with it. What a gift it turned out to be, not at all bad as it turned out!
This photo below captures the tranquillity that snow brings, and I find the hues of red and turquoise just exquisite.
This tension between the completion of one season and the arrival of the next took me to consider duality thinking. 'Either it is winter or spring; please make up your mind! It can be pretty easy to categorise our experiences into polarities, like 'good or bad' or 'right or wrong'. It is not always helpful:)
As I was considering what to write about next, I decided to follow my nose on this topic of duality. Last week my dear friend Dirje wrote in the comments section about her fond memories of the poems in the 'Now We are Six' book by A.A.Milne. I remember it well. It is a gorgeous book from the 1920s. The rhythms and rhyming are just delicious. Milne's poetry is simple and beautiful, and his humour can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. It is quirky and warm-hearted and invites us not to take life too seriously.
In the spirit of exploring duality this week, here is a poem from the book that captures polarities in a fun way. The moral is that nobody is perfect. We have both the 'good' and the 'bad' in us all, and our 'badness' can be rather fetching. What is delightful is the way he links to our Times Tables, which we have all resisted at some time in our lives, I am sure :).
Twice Times by A.A Milne
There were Two Little Bears who lived in a Wood,
And one of them was Bad and the other was Good.
Good Bear learnt his Twice Times One -
But Bad Bear left all his buttons undone.
They lived in a Tree when the weather was hot,
And one of them was Good, and the other was Not.
Good Bear learnt his Twice Times Two -
But Bad Bear's thingummies were worn right through.
They lived in a Cave when the weather was cold,
And they Did, and they Didn't Do, what they were told.
Good Bear learnt his Twice Times Three -
But Bad Bear never had his hand-ker-chee.
They lived in the Wood with a Kind Old Aunt,
And one said "Yes'm," and the other said "Shan't!"
Good Bear learnt his Twice Times Four -
But Bad Bear's knicketies were terrible tore.
And then quite suddenly (just like Us)
One got Better and the other got Wuss.
Good Bear muddled his Twice Times Three -
But Bad Bear coughed in his hand-ker-chee!
Good Bear muddled his Twice Times Two -
But Bad Bear's thingummies looked like new.
Good Bear muddled his Twice Times One -
But Bad Bear never left his buttons undone.
There may be a Moral, though some say not;
I think there's a moral, though I don't know what.
But if one gets better, as the other gets wuss,
These Two Little Bears are just like Us.
For Christopher remembers up to Twice Times Ten ...
But I keep forgetting where I put my pen.*
* So I have had to write this one in pencil.
Question for this Week
As you consider your childhood, what memories do you have of those quirky moments when you were not a perfect bear? For example, I remember I used to ‘enjoy’ making my Mum run after me. It felt like a great game. I had no awareness of the dangers that might have been ahead of me!
As always, I would love to hear from you.
Ann
This poem is so delicious! The simple rhymes, the lovely old-fashioned language, and the feisty attitude of Bad Bear! The only time I really remember being naughty was once when I would not let my mother cut my hair. I was about 7 and my hair had gotten very long. My mother only wanted to trip it, but I absolutely wouldn't give in and (like you, Anne) I made her chase me all over the neighborhood! Of course in the end, she and her scissors won out and I vividly remember thinking that it wasn't so bad after all. I smile now as I wonder why in the world this mattered so much to me!
Ohhh my—too adorable and wise for words. You always speak to us giving exactly what we need! A.A. Milne is a voice of great wisdom for me, still. Thank you, thank you dear sister!! So much love to you🙏🏼♥️