My childhood memories - my brother never got sick

 I must always smile whenever I remember this story . It started in a winter afternoon ...we expected the form teacher of my   big  brother  to visit   us .  He was a five grader at that time .It was/is the custom   in Hungary that  the  form teachers visit once a year the family of every student to  have better  idea about the surroundings of the student and have a friendly chat with the parents .

Well, she was a very nice lady - she was sitting in the kids room  and drinking coffee with my mum . She told many good things about my brother  - he is smart , helpful  and very popular . My mother was very proud .

Then the teacher added and "what is really  exceptional  - he did not miss a single day from school last year . He seems very healthy child as well ".... Then my mother went overconfident and she told  her "  I do not intend to brag  but ... he has not been down with any illness for one and a half year ."

The teacher praised him and added that only the art teacher  is complaining about my brother that his level is not good enough  for his age ..Perhaps if my mother encouraged  him he would  show more talent .

When the form teacher left our home  my mother was disturbed by this art teacher's remark . It turned out that they had  homework - they had to paint  something colorful   around their  home . My mother looked out the kitchen window and told to my brother   : Look  there  !  The fence which is hiding the garbage  cans !   it is a nice topic ... I remember him drawing that colorful fence   it  had large orange/yellow triangles  and really there was not many other colorful things to choose that winter day ....  my mother was cooking and encouraged him  "   be brave  - do not be afraid to paint it large .... "  everybody loved the result


 So my brother was  waiting very much to go to the school the next day - he wanted to tell  the other students about the teacher's visit and he expected some nice words  from the art teacher .  . But when  he woke up he was very unwell : high temperature , sore throat .... My mother felt miserable .... She was nearly  crying  'I am so much ashamed  now .... I  was too proud yesterday that you are never ill .  They will laugh  when they hear you are down with flu "

In Mum's Bed 1908 Photograph by dianegaddis
Print photos at Zazzle

 Luckily , nobody teased him  for this  ... then this story  always reminds me not to take the good health of our child as a personal victory  .  Some kids gets sick more often than others  .

And what happened to the painting ?  My brother could show it to the teacher after a week !  The only thing she could tell him  was " this is not your work - somebody else has made it "  and deterred him for life from the career as an artist .