‘A Thing of Beauty…

30 July 2022

….is a joy forever.’ This seemingly simple pearl of wisdom whispered in my mind while I watched my 9 – year old niece fill the blackboard with her art. There she was, covered in chalk dust, but loving the experience. Standing there in front of me, she scribbled and drew and wrote and erased, quizzing me, challenging me, learning from me…and above all, inviting me to join her in the world of chalk dust.

While she stood there, almost blackboard – high now, I saw the younger me in her. That was my childhood spot she was standing on, my childhood version playing out. The blackboard (but a literal green board) and I have enjoyed a unique connection right from my toddler days. It is what I posed in front of, in my very first school uniform. It is where I drew my first rainbows and typical landscapes (not forgetting the V-shaped birds, 4 to be precise!) It is also where I first played ‘school’ and where I eventually practised for school. It is where I perfected my handwriting and where I let loose my obsession with quotes.

While my niece did none of this, I saw the slight smile playing on her lips all the while she stood by that blackboard. She was happy, in a world of her own. The ‘clean slate’ opened a world of possibilities for her…and the ones she didn’t like, she could erase and create all over again.

Watching her made me share in the smile. I am no longer blackboard – high; in fact I have to now go down on my knees to write on it. The blackboard that was once adorned with neat handwriting and a quote a day, is now often blank. I miss it, and I hope it misses me too.

But every once in a while, the blankness is erased amidst the chaos of scribbles that the ‘next generation’ brings with it. My toddler – high niece practised her first strokes here. Today, she writes her name on it, with a flourish. My baby nephew is learning to hold his first chalk and put his mark on the same blackboard.

A fresh green board that was once installed for me was left lonely when I moved out of that house. And yet, despite the passing years – it remains a thing of beauty, for me, for my family – one that promises to bring joy forever!