This Skirt

I have a skirt.  Two layers: a soft shortish shift overlaid with a drape of chiffon coloured a fiery Monet of oranges and reds with splashes of emerald green.  As I walk, the chiffon floats and flutters, see-through in the sun. 

This skirt makes me think of the beach and warmth and the friend who was with me when I bought it after one talk-fuelled long lunch.  The skirt makes me feel as if I’m on holiday. It makes me happy.

I wear my skirt in spring and summer with espadrilles or gold flat sandals, silver jewelry. Sometimes I sneak it on during winter with high black boots and a tight, long sleeved black top and silver belt.

Every time I wear this skirt I am complimented, most often by men, but not in a sleazy or flirty way.  They just seem to like the colours of the skirt and how it floats and moves, and silhouettes in the sun.  It makes them smile; I think the skirt makes them happy as well.

I wore this skirt today and I wondered, how many other people wear something not just because it looks good, or is a uniform, or is cool, or warm, or otherwise ‘suitable’ in some way, but simply because it makes them happy?

Anne Frank - her diary and the Mini Series

My daughter and I had a bonding session the other night, not during a shopping trip, or a visit to the hairdresser, or over hot chocolate and cake; instead, we sat on the couch, curled up under blankets with a box of tissues handy as we sobbed our way through the tele-series Anne Frank: The Whole Story. Although not endorsed by the Frank family (due to a dispute over who actually reported the whereabouts of the Frank family to the authorities), the series is very true to the actual diary and what is reported to have happened afterwards. The scenes of the concentration camps in particular were harrowing in their realism and Ben Kinsley as Anne’s father is brilliant. The only survivor from all the people hidden in “the secret annexe”, he returned to a world where everything had been taken away from him and had to somehow survive that - almost impossible to imagine.  

In fact, the character of Anne's father is probably what choked me up the most.  Afterwards, we also watched an interview from the late 70s with Anne's father. Mr Frank began the Anne Frank Foundation in 1963 and the foundation now holds the copyright to Anne's diary and runs a series of charitable projects many of which appear to be centred around working with and supporting young people.  In the interview, Mr Frank said he started the foundation to encourage peace and tolerance between people especially those who are young. 

My daughter has recently read Anne’s diary, which is why we watched the tele-series. For me as a mother it was fascinating how my daughter identified so much with the day-to-day emotions of Anne writing 70 years earlier - particularly at times when Anne was having issues with her own mother! I guess some things never change...

Both the book and the series deeply affected my daughter - it has opened her to a world of new ideas and increased her understanding of, and interest in, events and places previously unknown to her - all through the power of Anne's story. And of course that story is made all the more poignant because of what the reader and the viewer know about her fate.  Even as she lives and loves and writes we know there is no escape for her.  And perhaps the truly sad thing, is that if Anne had somehow escaped to grow old and marry and have children and grandchildren, her diary and her story would never become as famous as it has.

The Great JK Rowling

I am in awe of the abilities of this woman JK Rowling.  Like many teenagers, my son has grown up loving and rereading the Harry Potter series. I even found him with the Deathly Hallows in his hands when I got back from work last night and I can't tell you how many times he's read that. It's quite annoying watching the movies with him as he fills in all the little missing details (I have read the books myself, but don't quite have his memory on these things!)

First of all Ms Rowling creates a world that has captured the imaginations of millions of children and adults around the world, then she maintains creative control over the movies and now she is leading the creative world by the nose showing us all how it's done with her new Pottormore website which if all the hype is to be believed is giving a completely new, fabulous model for the future of "publishing".  All the while she has maintained creative and financial control over what she does, appears to have a happy home life and gives generously to charity! 

A bit of a role model I have to admit...

lI don’t intend this blog to deal only with child deaths, so don’t read too much into this first blog, other than the fact that all aspects of human behaviour interest me and how people interact with their children is one of those aspects.

Obviously I’m not the only one with an interest in this. Opening up the digital version of the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, the main story was this

http://www.smh.com.au/world/casey-anthony-found-not-guilty-of-killing-daughter-20110706-1h14z.html

the story of Casey Anthony who has now been found not guilty of killing her two year old daughter, Caylee, three years ago. While the jury found Casey not guilty of murdering Caylee, they did find her guilty of at least four counts of lying to police. Each of these counts has the potential for up to 12 months of jail time and she is due to be sentenced by the judge on Thursday.

As usual in a trial of this kind it seems impossible to separate out the truth from the fiction – both the prosecution and the defence put forward their own “stories” which were just that – stories. The only facts we can be sure of are that Caylee is dead and it appears from Casey’s actions (including getting a “dolce vita” tattoo and continuing to party hard after her daughter’s death) that she wasn’t too distraught about that.

Thrown in to the mix is the Defence’s claim that Casey was traumatised as a result of sexual abuse at the hands of her father.  When I follow events like this, I can understand why people are so interested in true crime stories. Who needs fiction?!