Dear Little One - theHumm February 2021

By Jaaron Hamilton

Jaaron Hamilton sent in this letter to her young son (as well as the photo) as her contribution to theHumm’s Winterwords invitation to write:

By the time that you’ll be reading this, all of this will be a distant memory. Maybe you’ll be reading about it in your history textbook, or watching a documentary about it on Netflix. In any case, there is one thing that is absolutely certain: this was not the year that we imagined. I don’t know what we expected, but this definitely wasn’t it. A year full of hope with your expected arrival, quickly turned to despair, devastation, and uncertainty. We are plagued by so much fear. In this endless barrage of articles and rising case counts, you bring infinite amounts of joy. What juxtaposition! High highs. Low lows.

Little One, this world you have entered is a strange one. Your world consists of the four walls of our home, the familiar streets of our neighbourhood that we walk endlessly (where else is there to go?), and the clinical rooms of hospitals and doctors’ offices. Outside of our house, you know nothing but blue medical masks and the sickly sweet smell of hand sanitizer. When we thought we could gather with family and friends, suddenly we found ourselves just the two of us… and you.

Where there may have been chaos, we found calm. In your tiny snores. In your tinkling laugh. In your grunts and sighs. Your bright blue eyes blink up from below as seasons change outside the window. August… September… October… November… December… tearing off the pages of the calendar one by one. Inside, you learn to stand while outside the world stands still. Introductions through panes of glass. Make it quick! It’s cold outside. Milestones viewed through video calls. Whoops, your screen is frozen again. Hold on a minute while I reset the modem. Roll, crawl, stand, walk. Out of diaper cream? Don’t worry, I’ve ordered it for curbside pick-up. They’ll put it in the trunk for us when we pull up! Warm cuddles in the dead of night with no noise but for the occasional car passing in the distance and the peaceful snores of Daddy in the next room.

Although it doesn’t look like we imagined, we have found unity in the community of moms that live nearby. Moms unite! These are the mothers of the pandemic babies. Wonderful. Willful. Warriors. We stand stronger together looking forward to a better and brighter future. We thought we’d never find each other, but in this digital age we are able to come closer than ever. But still, keep strollers six feet apart. We know things won’t be this way forever, but that does seem the case some days. It’s easy to lose hope in the same day-in-day-out monotony of our weeks. Baby blues? That’s for sure. But we do what we can to look on the bright side. Fast friendships formed in Internet forums and Facebook groups. Not alone. You are not alone. This community is bigger and more vibrant than I ever could have imagined it. The pandemic obscured it, but it’s been there all along. Other mamas like me, with little ones like you. Living, no, surviving, just the same. What we thought would keep us apart, has brought us all together.

Little One, you won’t always know only masks. You’ll make friends outside of our house. You’ll hold hands with and hug those you love. Two metres apart is only temporary. You’ll stride bravely into the world to find your place. We haven’t seen “normal” for almost a year and in the promise of its return, there is so much to look forward to. We take you on languorous morning drives past all of our favourite places now — the local coffee shops, museums, bookstores, and libraries. One day, we’ll be able to take you inside so you can see for yourself. By then you’ll be walking and talking all on your own. Those little hands that hold onto our fingers will grasp whatever they can. Curious and bold. Trouble maker (she says with a wink). Your world will explode in the most beautiful way as you take in all that this place has to offer. This place is exceptional, and who better than you to discover it. Let’s look forward to adventuring together.

Love always, Mum.

Kaija Savinainen —A Brush with a Gifted Environmental Activist - theHumm February 2021

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

When theHumm first featured oil painter Kaija Savinainen Mountain (her married name) in 2007, she responded to my inevitable question as to why she created her art with this statement: “I have a terrible need to create. It chases me.” She has continued her race to the top of her creative powers, but she has raised the bar on her ambitions. Today her answer is: “Nature needs our respect and care more than ever these days, and I challenge us all to be mindful of......

Dear Little One - theHumm February 2021