Do you ever wonder at the circular nature of life? I often do and it was brought home to me again on Friday, as I racked my brains for a St David's Day teaching activity that I hadn't used with the same group of little girls before.
Putting out a display of books about Wales, I picked up my beloved copy of Mary Jones and her Bible, a book I have had since I was four years old and which my mother used to read to me in her soft, Welsh tones. I'm not a particularly religious person but the story of a farm girl who wanted a Bible in Welsh so much that she saved for six years to be able to buy one, then, in 1800, walked, barefoot, the twenty-five miles to Bala to get it, has stayed with me. It was Mary's focus and determination that held me a lifetime ago and still does now. [If you do not know the story, you will find it here.]
On Friday I thought that my group of eleven-year-olds might be interested so I simplified the story, leaving out all the past simple tense forms for them to insert. As I had predicted, the story impressed them, too, especially the barefoot bit, which they could hardly believe!
Little did I think, as I lay tucked up in bed listening to the story in early 1950s Bristol, that I would be using it as a teaching resource 60 years later in Sicily!
6 comments:
I've never heard of that story, Pat...but your own story about the story...is a wonderful story. :)
Thank you, Lee.
God bless St David!
Echoed, WW.
I hadn't heard of Mary Jones but it is indeed a very inspiring story. It's funny isn't it how things told to us when we were young can somehow shape our lives.
Hi, Jenny. Yes, it is strange how thsese things stay with us.
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