Where it all began…

While packing for yet another house move (our 15th in 25 years), I finally opened something that has followed us through every move since 2009.

When my mum passed away, we discovered two very large art folios filled with what appeared to be every drawing, piece of writing, and scrap of creativity I made between about the ages of two and eight. She had kept everything.

Over the years, every time we moved house, I asked Si if we could throw them away – to me they were just taking up space. Every time, he refused.

This time I struck a deal. If I promised to go through every single piece in the folios, could we finally let them go? Two hours later, I had looked at them all, one by one.

What I found completely surprised me. There were the expected childhood scribbles, but also stories, poems, and little maps of our home. Mum had kept it all.

Seeing those early sparks of creativity, carefully saved all those years ago, was incredibly moving.

I ended up selecting a small handful of pieces that mean the most to me. When we’re settled in the new house, I might share a few of them. Some of them are quite surprising.

Thank you, Mum, for keeping them.

And thank you, Si, for refusing to throw them away.

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