In that room I was happy and laughter was abundant.
It was there where I learned the restorative power of naps on special mats.
I knew that a Care Bears lunchbox had the power to make everything all better.
In that room, I was dubbed a “chatterbox.” And a “delightful student.”
In that room, life was simple.
If I close my eyes, I am there again. Walking to the kindergarten wing. Two classrooms that shared a closet of cubbies just outside their doors. My name is written on a panda bear. Because panda rhymes with Miranda.
I can see the centers. Drawing tables to the left, kitchen and dress-up areas to the right. Blocks in the back of the room. Those were the coveted spots for naptime.
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Round tables lining the middle of the room.
The bulletin board with our frogs on their lily pads ready to jump into the water if we misbehaved.
I can still smell the crayons.
Everything else is faded. Not quite black and white, but not in full color. Shaded with passing years.
But when I close my eyes tightly, I catch a flicker of the peace that filled my five-year-old heart and it sustains me for just a moment or two.
Until I open my eyes.
For this week’s memoir prompt we were asked to write about kindergarten. Or the earliest grade we could remember. While I’m not certain this is even sort of what was expected, it was the story behind my eyes.
“Everything else is faded. Not quite black and white, but not in full color. Shaded with passing years.” My favorite line from your story.
You did a fabulous job describing everything. No wonder you go back there in your mind frequently!
That’s my favorite line, too. And it’s totally how I see things in my mind’s eye. The red isn’t quite so red and the blue isn’t quite so blue. Maybe things are just dusty in my memory.
I think you did a phenomenal job with the prompt. I love the picture you painted of a safe, warm kindergarten classroom. I felt like I was sitting in the middle of the room and you were giving me a tour.
It was a safe and warm classroom. My entire life was safe and warm then.
I agree that you painted a picture of the safe and warm setting very clearly. I had a sense of security and serenity as I read….exactly what Kindergarten should be.
That’s the feeling I get whenever I think about how simple life was back then. We just had to worry about sharing the crayons and taking naps.
Simply beautiful.
Why, thank you.
Very cool! I love reading the red dress club posts on friends’ blogs but I’m not sure I’m a good enough writer for one myself! Keep it up though Miranda!
To quote Pocahontas, “If you never try then you’ll never know.”
Or something like that!
Link up!
You had “centers” in kindergarten? Miranda Panda, I’m old enough to be your mama.
Yep. We did. The late 80s.
Oh my goodness. Erica, you’re not alone. LATE 80s? I don’t even know if I can comment for real now as I am in such awe of this statement alone. [ACK!] I suppose I could be your mama, too, if I really calculate. Yikes. 😉
I’ll just stick to one comment so as not to take over your whole page, but I loved this post. I wanted to say that I felt that you were remembering so much so vividly, and so much more than I could even imagine if I tried. Maybe age has something to do with that, maybe not, but either way, it’s a beautiful tribute to this memory and thanks for sharing it with all of us. I really loved it.
I think I remember so much about it because I feel like my childhood stopped shortly after that year. Like it was all over for me and I had to grow up. Sad to admit that, but that’s why it’s so clear to me sometimes.
And thanks for the love. That means a lot.
You rocked this!!
I was placed right in that room!
I forgot about cubbies, round tables,bulletin boards, and naps.
This is fantastic Maranda the Panda!
I’m so glad you liked it!
This was a lovely glimpse of your lovely kindergarten experience! I loved the flow of the simple lines and the details like the panda, the round tables, the lily pads.
My favorite line though was this one: “Everything else is faded. Not quite black and white, but not in full color. Shaded with passing years. because it was pure poetry.
Thanks. That’s my favorite line, too.
Great descriptions of the room! I wasn’t able to remember mine that clearly. Like everyone, I love the line, “Everything else is faded. Not quite black and white, but not in full color. Shaded with passing years.”
Thanks! Kindergarten is just one of those years that is permanently fixed in my memory. I can still see my teacher’s face.
What lovely memories! So descriptive, from the Care Bear lunch box to the frogs on their lily pads. Nice.
I wish I still had that Care Bears lunch box. It was one of the good metal ones!
I wish I remembered that much from Kindergarten! I tried to think about it after reading this, and I like this little bursts of memories that pop in my mind. I guess I remembered more then I thought! Thanks so much, that was wonderful!
I remember so many stories from kindergarten, but none of them seemed to fit here quite like these little bursts did.
Thanks for reading!
I loved the emotion in this, especially the ending, where if you concentrate hard, you can take yourself back when things were a lot more peaceful.
I love remembering those moments of peace from my childhood. When things were simple and easy and happy.
::sigh::
I love that you described it as smelling like crayons. I just sniffed the inside of Eddie’s crayon bin yesterday (don’t ask) and I said, “mmmm! smells like Kindergarten!”
Cort gave me a weird look.
Tell Cort he’s the weird one. Kindergarten TOTALLY smells like crayons.