The Giving Tree
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The Giving Tree has but one difference; it gives no reason to commit. It exists for its own natural sake. Parents need to exist for children’s sake (or life is simply not worth living) and therefore will, like every human being, drop to a low when the going gets tough. We as parents will never stop producing the extra ounce of energy to feed the children’s need. Sadly, in a city filled with need and want to become more advance, children have no purpose for the gifts parents shower upon them. Today, they get the games, tomorrow, they get a perfect ice cream for a $1 by the MRT…between the two, the latter seems to give greater nourishment for their souls than all the material gifts put together. So there, keep the gifts simple…the children will not want to ‘chop our arm and leg to build their boats’…the tree cannot reason…we can.
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1hkgood:
The Giving Tree has but one difference; it gives no reason to commit. It exists for its own natural sake. Parents need to exist for children's sake (or life is simply not worth living) and therefore will, like every human being, drop to a low when the going gets tough. We as parents will never stop producing the extra ounce of energy to feed the children's need. Sadly, in a city filled with need and want to become more advance, children have no purpose for the gifts parents shower upon them. Today, they get the games, tomorrow, they get a perfect ice cream for a $1 by the MRT....between the two, the latter seems to give greater nourishment for their souls than all the material gifts put together. So there, keep the gifts simple.....the children will not want to 'chop our arm and leg to build their boats'...the tree cannot reason....we can.
Wow... a very deep analysis... and I agree with your point that we should keep the gifts simple. But that gets harder with the affluence of our society. As a child, my dad was the world to me - I still remember those days when I was about 4 years old and he would walk me across the bridge over the small river in Mattar road to the hawker centre for a tao suan treat which was normally too hot for me to eat but I loved it anyway, and I remember those sessions even after all these years. My own son, however, would not touch tao suan, and gets bored within a minute of sitting down when we dine outside if he is not entertained by a portable game. Somehow, we are losing touch with the simple pleasures of life. -
I read this book at Page 1. It’s a rather sad story to me.
I didn’t get the book (yet) also not sure if I will partly because I haven’t thought of how I can story tell it to my child… -
ChiefKiasu:
I still remember those days when I was about 4 years old and he would walk me across the bridge over the small river in Mattar road to the hawker centre
*side track*
Hey CKS, I walked across that bridge everyday during my primary sch. That one can be called a river meh, I thought is a big drain. ^_^ -
mumwgals:
Kekeke... it certainly looked like a river to me at 4yo. But you are right... it's just an oversized longkang. Also, I think that is where I may have developed my fear of height (agrophobia). That bridge was not much more than a few pieces of planks stitched together during those days.ChiefKiasu:
I still remember those days when I was about 4 years old and he would walk me across the bridge over the small river in Mattar road to the hawker centre
*side track*
Hey CKS, I walked across that bridge everyday during my primary sch. That one can be called a river meh, I thought is a big drain. ^_^ -
ChiefKiasu:
If we are talking about the same Mattar road hawer center, there should be a proper bridge further down from that plank bridge you took, but I guess your dad wanted to train you on your balancing skill. ; P
Kekeke... it certainly looked like a river to me at 4yo. But you are right... it's just an oversized longkang. Also, I think that is where I may have developed my fear of height (agrophobia). That bridge was not much more than a few pieces of planks stitched together during those days.
I miss that hawker center, is it still there? I went back a few years ago and some of the hawkers were still there.....
This showed how somethings we did with our parents left deep impression in our memories. I hope my daughters will re-call those things we do together when they grow up. -
mumwgals:
maybe CKS couldn't differentiate bluish river water from brownish drain water...
That one can be called a river meh, I thought is a big drain. ^_^
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mumwgals:
If we are talking about the same Mattar road hawer center, there should be a proper bridge further down from that plank bridge you took, but I guess your dad wanted to train you on your balancing skill... I miss that hawker center, is it still there? I went back a few years ago and some of the hawkers were still there.....
It's the same hawker centre... except maybe not the same bridge. My memories of that bridge is between 1968-1972. Yes, incredibly, some of the stores are still there, especially the desert store. The daughter of the store took over from her parents. It has been there for more than 40 years! And prices are still as low. Some things don't get inflated. -
jedamum:
Hard to tell when my memories are still in black and white like the TV sets of yonder years.
maybe CKS couldn't differentiate bluish river water from brownish drain water...mumwgals:
That one can be called a river meh, I thought is a big drain. ^_^ -
mumwgals:
If we are talking about the same Mattar road hawer center, there should be a proper bridge further down from that plank bridge you took, but I guess your dad wanted to train you on your balancing skill... I miss that hawker center, is it still there? I went back a few years ago and some of the hawkers were still there.....
It's the same hawker centre... except maybe not the same bridge. That bridge you are referring to is actually a road. My memories of that plank bridge is between 1968-1972.
Yes, incredibly, some of the stores are still there, especially the desert store. The daughter of the store took over from her parents. It has been there for more than 40 years! And prices are still as low. Some things don't get inflated.
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