averilburystedmunds: Every New Beginning

Every New Beginning ….……

........ comes from some other beginning’s end. Seneca

Seneca; Stoic, philosophet, statesman, dramatist
c 4 B.C.- 65 A.D.

Mark Twain; novelist, essayist, journalist, humourist
1835-1910.

I have chosen this theme simply because on Saturday, [14^th March 2026] I shall meet Maeve for the first time. Her birth has certainly initiated a huge and delightful beginning to Tom and Flora’s new life as a trio and marked the end of being a couple, a Maeve-less duo! For me privately, of course, it is an exciting thought to acknowledge that I am now old enough to have a great granddaughter with possibly

Idealised representation of great grandma and new baby!

the beginnings of that attendant wisdom that word implies! One of my favourite sayings since I first heard it has always been Mark Twain’s, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started!” And Twain’s two most famous novels, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” are ones which I read to many teenage classes as a young teacher, and which introduced characters and situations which were always loved and enjoyed by us all. Those two books seemed to capture the spirit of the Mississippi River and the then contemporary American life with wit, satire and authentic colloquial language so entertaining to hear. Little did I realise when I first heard of Tom Sawyer’s entertaining adventures that these were the words of an influential and foundational figure in American literature. Twain has long been celebrated as a master humourist, able to tackle serious issues like slavery and imperialism through relatable characters and amusing, sometimes frightening, encounters.

Shape of things to come.

But back to the important present! Last weekend, observing my eldest grandson and his wife, I marvelled at the huge amount of involvement Tom had with the care of his baby daughter. All taken for granted these days, of course, but secretly admired by me. One can’t help but compare it with the slight amount of nappy-changing, bottom-wiping by Dads of previous generations. The birth of a baby is a profound, life-changing event that marks the beginning of a fresh chapter, bringing immense joy and a re-defined sense of purpose to the parents. Tom and Flora have all the delight in their new daughter, while happily managing on much less sleep as she seems to hoard her wakefulness and its active expression, to their night hours. It is impressive, though socially assumed to be normal, when new parents immediately transform their priorities from the absorption of self-care to the protection and nurturing of this tiny, dependent human. The tumult of the birth and the joy following, shifts their focus from the past to the future as they instinctively look forward to guiding their baby on an unknown but beautiful journey ahead.

Niamh and Maeve:
one aunt with the V.I.M.
both with Celtic names.

Cait and Maeve:
a great aunt takes her turn with the
Very Important Maeve.

It was amusing to watch the assembled family at my son’s home, almost queuing to hold Maeve, talk to Maeve, cuddle Maeve, who was not, yet, quite at the stage of giving a grateful smile for all the cuddly interaction she was enjoying. Think the smiles of recognition for her parents are almost due and will be bountifully bestowed shortly. I would also guess that the totally thrilled Mum and Dad are also able to recognize, in the strength of their wonderment with their new daughter, how special they, in their earlier turn, had been, and still are, to their own parents.