mum's wall hanging

I was given two of the most special birthday presents this year. One was this wall hanging Mum made when she was in high school back in Holland. This is Mum's wall hanging and her story, so I will let her tell it:

“I was 16 years old and at high school when the arts teacher asked us to create a 'painting', using a different medium than paint. The task was to create an imaginary 'space', where we could place ourselves one day later in our personal life. I dug through my mother's boxes and boxes of materials, to find little treasures for my project, and I painted a place of my future, snipping and stitching it together, layer over layer. Well, my prediction through this 'painting' has well and truly come alive: Thirty years ago I immigrated from Hilversum, a major city in The Netherlands, (after bumping into my husband Kim on a bush track in Australia), to the most incredible natural environment in the world: a peaceful valley in the middle of the Karri forests, with old growth trees, permanent creeks, abundant bird- and wildlife and wild flowers galore. It is here that I became a mother of three absolutely beautiful children. I loved my pregnancies, the bonding and mothering and truly can say that I feel rich, despite all the challenges. And there were plenty of them!

My art teacher told me that she was impressed with my work, but she also asked me: "Do you really think that this is where you will be one day Marianna??" Wouldn't it be interesting, if Mrs De Lange could come over to see me here in Australia today? I can't remember what mark she gave me for the wall hanging and that seems totally unimportant.

I seem to be able to predict, without trying, certain events in my life and I have been very accurate with my predictions at times. So, it is not surprising to find me today in my 'painting'! I am hoping to stay here, in the beautiful green valley of my 'painting' for as long as I can!"

One of my earliest memories is looking at this embroidery, studying all the colours and textures and daydreaming that it was me lying in Mums arms at the edge of the forest, not realising that she actually created it with this image in her mind all those years ago.

Now that I am a mother myself I feel so lucky to have this image hanging in our lounge room. Despite it slowly deteriorating with old age, I hope it will continue to be an image in our family of new life and new generations.