pollyanna

I've mentioned before that I'm a bit of a Pollyanna when things are 'normal'. I first read my mother's copy of the book of the same name when I was about 10. When we visited my grandparents in Sydney, I would sleep in their study - a small alcove curtained off from the dining room, on opposite sides of which were two built-in desks and bookshelves, where my mother and her sister studied. Many of their childhood books were still there, and I spent many hours reading about the adventures of The Abbey Girls, Milly Molly Mandy and Pollyanna, amongst others.

Last week we dropped into a secondhand bookshop, and I happened to spot a copy of Pollyanna. Miss Tizz was in a mood, so I bought it for her, but as we were leaving the shop, the proprietor said something about knowing it was really for me. And it really was, in a way. I re-read it over the next couple of days, in between keeping the school holiday peace, and all the usual things that seem to interfere with reading, and rediscovered how much I love this book. I love Pollyanna's attitude to life, and her Glad Game is a lovely reminder that there's always something good to found in every situation, no matter how grim it may seem, and if you only look hard enough.

I know it's all a bit 'nice', and 'nice' isn't used in a very complimentary way much these days, but it arrived at the right time for me, and I'm very glad it did :)