I’ve been reading a book about Gerald Durrell’s childhood on the island of Corfu, and funny enough it has me thinking of my own childhood. I’ve been thinking of long lazy summer holidays, where to do nothing was never frowned upon. I had my trusty bike, my brother and our dog off to have adventures in our suburb backyard. And what adventures we did have the three of us, of course from my own vivid imagination, my brother being younger simply went along with my extremely complicated schemes and storylines.Mum kept a watchful eye on us, but we had an entire yard to wander about and play in.

Gerald Durrell had a fascination with bugs, birds and other animals no matter how big or small they were. He practically turned their Corfu villa into a zoo, often with hilarious results, especially from his older brother who had a bad experience with a seemingly harmless box of matches.

I find the book is so easy to read and full of nostalgia as well as humour. It makes me longing to revisit my childhood and it’s many memories, sometimes good and sometimes bad. It makes me also long for those who are longer living, but longing to have one stolen moment with them again. To feel the sun on my face, and have no worries other than what adventure to have next in my day. I know that is wishful thinking on my part, but I am not wanting to change a thing, merely to be able to shelter life’s storms for awhile in the blissfulness of my childhood.

Yes I am quite sure that I am not alone in thinking parts of my childhood were bliss ? And yet there were times when it wasn’t so great, but life is kinda a mixed bag. You need to take the heartache, for the joy of happiness, nothing is done by halves ?Well in my life particularly.

And yes I lost people, people really important to me, but now I know there was a plan of sorts. It has brought me strength and determination and made me who I am today, writing this blog.

Everybody wants to go back to their childhood at some point, the feeling of the world being smaller and the safety I felt. My Parent’s seemed so bigger back then and now I see they have aged. I don’t mean it in a cruel way, I mean that as an adult realizing my Mum and Dad are mere mortals.

I feel too children today give their childhood’s away too quickly, they are always in a hurry to grow up. Then as they get to adulthood, they become unfulfilled, because they never enjoyed their childhood’s for the true gifts they actually were.

I am forever grateful for growing up in a time where the world was still magical and not controlled by technology. I am also grateful to have had my brother along for the ride, not forgetting our beloved dog as well. She made being a kid fun and looked out for us kinda like Nanny in Peter Pan.

Ciao

Kitty-Kat xox