I have found being grateful softens the heart, produces wondrous opportunities, and brings into focus important relationships and moments between people; moments that get taken for granted, overlooked in the hurried day-to-day of living. When I reflect upon my relationships with my daughter and my mother I am grateful for the moments that bind us together, and as a result of them, have given birth to a wonderful children’s storybook character name Lae Lae. I am referring to a handcrafted and wholesome children’s book series, The Lae Lae Collection, illustrated and written by my mother based upon my daughter, Zoe, and her childhood experiences. I'm squeezed in as a blogger and promoter of the books.
This three generational collaboration of the heart was sparked by my daughter’s natural curiosity and creativeness. The collection began when my mother was already in “Act Three” of her life. As a grandmother, she was enjoying her time with her grandchildren when inspiration hit. I remember the day...
My daughter was six years old and wanted to celebrate Mother Earth by making a mud cake in her honor. She went into the backyard and collected acorns, leaves, sticks and other materials found outside. With the help of her grandmother, and alongside her older brother, he and she made their versions of earth cakes. The cakes symbolized the attention all people need to take in caring for the earth and its living creatures.
It was a profound moment to witness a beautiful childhood moment and an imperative life lesson in the making. So quintessential was this playful moment that my mother set upon becoming a children’s book author, in her sixties, to capture moments of childhood and the values taught within them.
As I reflect upon how this creative project of five years connects three generations, I realize as a family we have come together to craft stories that embrace the innocence and importance of childhood. In the process, we are shaping our moments as a family.
by Chelse Benham (Lae Lae team member)
This three generational collaboration of the heart was sparked by my daughter’s natural curiosity and creativeness. The collection began when my mother was already in “Act Three” of her life. As a grandmother, she was enjoying her time with her grandchildren when inspiration hit. I remember the day...
My daughter was six years old and wanted to celebrate Mother Earth by making a mud cake in her honor. She went into the backyard and collected acorns, leaves, sticks and other materials found outside. With the help of her grandmother, and alongside her older brother, he and she made their versions of earth cakes. The cakes symbolized the attention all people need to take in caring for the earth and its living creatures.
It was a profound moment to witness a beautiful childhood moment and an imperative life lesson in the making. So quintessential was this playful moment that my mother set upon becoming a children’s book author, in her sixties, to capture moments of childhood and the values taught within them.
As I reflect upon how this creative project of five years connects three generations, I realize as a family we have come together to craft stories that embrace the innocence and importance of childhood. In the process, we are shaping our moments as a family.
by Chelse Benham (Lae Lae team member)
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