The sky is God’s palette. It is the perfect blend of purples, pinks, blue and yellows. Never mind the silhouettes of busy homes and electric poles below. I look up and the sky calms me.
What does the sky’s color remind you of?
It reminds me of cotton candy, grape jelly, baby smiles and unicorns. I remember a small My Little Pony shoulder bag. I remember ballet shoes and pink tights. I remember reading Sweet Valley Twins and wanting to own purple things to be an unofficial Unicorn. I remember my sister’s room, my cousin’s favorite color, Shy Violet, ube jam. I remember Rainbow Brite, little girl dresses with lace and ruffles, dragons and dragonflies.
It’s not quite evening and I hear crickets singing. It’s time to stop playing with the neighborhood kids. I hear the TV go on, the sizzling from the kitchen, and the smell of garlic and onions floats through the home. I remember taking one last sip from the santan flower’s juices, then running through our rickety green gate and slamming the screen door behind me. I remember taking one last look at the sky before sitting at the dining table.
It is the same sky I looked at as a kid. The same palette God has been painting on. I look at it with awe and gratitude, and I feel comforted that my childhood self found comfort in his palette too. It calms us both.
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
paz
May 15, 2006 at 10:31 pm (18 years ago)it reminds me of ube ice cream (which we had last night and hubs favorite) !
denden
May 15, 2006 at 11:45 pm (18 years ago)this is such a nice post.
Boo
May 16, 2006 at 6:18 am (18 years ago)Hi Toni! Reading this brought me back to the days when everything was simple, when everything was good. I can relate 100% to what you just wrote. EXACTLY!. So much, that reading it brought a tear to my eye. I could almost hear the sounds we’d make as we played outside with the neighborhood kids. I could almost taste the santan ‘juice’ & aratilis. I could almost smell the ‘gisa’ (bawang, sibuyas, kamatis) and the ‘sinaing’. I almost smell us kids being ‘amoy araw’ after a long summer’s day out, and the ‘bagong ligo’ smell we’d have right before dinner. All these and more…it amazes me how so much of my Filipino friends can relate to most of my childhood and growing-up stories. How is it that we almost share the same experiences? I’m so glad I grew up in the Philippines, and had the best childhood ever. I have all these childhood memories to last my lifetime; those warm, fuzzy thoughts to go back to whenever I need to, when cold, damp, dreary London gets me down. I will go HOME someday, and give my future children the kind of childhood we had, Toni. In the meantime, thank you for reminding me about it. I will go home one day and I’ll be able to experience my childhood all over again, through my childrens’ eyes. I take comfort in this thought.
ajay
May 16, 2006 at 8:19 am (18 years ago)“the sky is God’s palette..” what a nice analogy. This post should remind us to be thankful of our blessings and all those small things. great writing exercise toni:)
Daphne
May 16, 2006 at 12:11 pm (18 years ago)Great shot and an even greater post filled with nostalgic memories of our forlorn days of yore!
vina
May 16, 2006 at 4:35 pm (18 years ago)hi toni, i actually felt kind of sad reading your post. i just miss the days when i was young(er), and life was much simpler.
when summers were spent playing with my cousins and friends, stuck knee-deep in the mud catching tadpoles and losing a slipper as a result…riding the bike with my tita and falling hard on the pavement, going home with bloody knees while crying my heart out…climbing the mango tree in our backyard and being bitten by large ants…
we just could never turn back the clock, couldn’t we? at best, we’ll just have to make the most of our days, and seize the moment.
jane
May 17, 2006 at 2:10 am (18 years ago)this is a nice one…well, the sky reminds me of happy thoughts, of camping ang counting the stars with my best friends, of how small I am compared to the countless blessings God provides for me and my family. the sky reminds me that someone much greater and powerful is up there, watching over me, making sure that I will always be alright…
BabyPink
May 17, 2006 at 2:28 am (18 years ago)the sky always reminds me of home… of MSU-marawi.:)