Mollie T. Cox, Author at 100 Words

Jolabokaflod: Christmas Book Flood

November 21st, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

Books are not only treasured as Christmas presents in Iceland, they are also given in abundance. For Icelanders, the holiday season begins with the delivery of Bokitidindi, the catalog of the new books published in Iceland that year. Citizens pour over the catalog for their Christmas selections.

After the books are exchanged on Christmas Eve, everyone snuggles down with hot cocoa and reads the night away. The occasion is called Jolabokaflod which translates roughly to Christmas Book Flood.

The closest our family came to a Jolabokaflod was when my husband unwrapped a Field of Dreams DVD one Christmas Eve and all five us piled into our queen bed and watched it. A favorite memory. Books with hot cocoa would have been even better.

Of all the things I wish I had known—before my children were grown and scattered— Jolabokaflod is probably the most fun and bonding. Christmas Eve is too full with our established traditions, but I would have declared another day, perhaps New Year’s Book Flood.

Interested in a new tradition?

Holidays, Money

Not a Penny to Waste

November 14th, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

When my husband attended one of his first meetings as a new faculty member, what he remembered most was a statement from the head of the business school.

“We have money for everything we need but not a penny to waste.”
Dean Richard Scott

We claimed that declaration as our money mantra, and it outlasted all others. (See here and here) Over the years, we have neglected things we needed and wasted a bit, but it has been a good compass. In times of want we have said, “We have money for everything we need,” and in times of plenty we have said, “We don’t have a penny to waste.”

I especially like the reminder during the holidays when both temptations exist: not allocating enough money for celebrating and unnecessary splurges.

Do any statements guide your money thinking?

Family

A Legacy oF Unconditonal Love

November 10th, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

My beloved grandmother was born this day 111 years ago. My pseudonym T. Cox is derived from her surnames.

When we reminisce, the one thing my siblings and I agree about is that the happiest days of our childhood were spent at my grandmother’s house.

Grandmommy was fun. She played dress up with us. She recited silly rhymes. She made us sticky buns for breakfast and ice cream sundaes long after bedtime. She bought us needed clothes and unneeded toys.

I remember only one denied request. My sister and I begged Grandmommy to hide us in the attic so we wouldn’t have to go home—an unbearable 200+ miles away. Later, I learned that my younger brother asked the same.

The children who asked to hide in their grandmother’s attic.

Why did we want to stay? Grandmommy gave us unconditional love and emotional security—vital to our survival during our formative years. She lived Matthew 18:10.

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Memories, Parenting

Illustrations Matter

November 7th, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

In Picture Book Revelations, I told how I vividly remembered the illustrations in Daddy’s Birthday Cakes. (See here.) I didn’t say it was approximately sixty years after I last saw that book. Therefore, why was I surprised when a son recalled illustrations from picture books I read to him thirty years ago?

As we reminisced during last night’s phone conversation, my youngest described three favorite picture books by their illustrations, not their plots: the book with the boy and his flashlight, the book with the boy wearing a blue sweater, the book with elaborately dressed animals riding in a carriage.

I pulled the described books from my bookshelves while my son searched for the covers online to confirm my guesses.

A flashlight is necessary for a successful sleep out.

Titch wore the same blue sweater during all his adventures

Piggins’ acquaintances rode in carriages. He solved mysteries.

Why did I recall all three titles within seconds?

What we see with our eyes matters. Regardless of the style, illustrations have a lasting impact—even more than I realized until an unexpected conversation with one son.

What do you visualize from your childhood?

Parenting

Picture Book Revelations

October 31st, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

My sons cherished certain picture books. Ox-Cart Man, Little Engine That Could, and Llama, Llama Are You my Mama? are seared into my memory.

What I wish I had known—and only recently realized—was that favorite preschool books were a key to understanding both my children’s personalities and their deep longings.

The boys were too young to communicate or perhaps be fully conscious of these desires, but looking back, I can list reasons why particular books appealed to each son.

The only picture book I remember from my childhood is Daddy’s Birthday Cakes by Miss Frances. I remember waiting patiently for my mother to finish washing dishes so she could read—and the disappointment when she didn’t have time.

A friend found that treasure in excellent condition on eBay. I bought it for a ridiculous amount, and yet, a small amount for the pleasure it gave me. The story was as I remembered. Illustrations—even details such as the mother’s scarf—were deeply familiar.

Now, I can list how each moment in the plot and certain illustrations met a longing. It is a new window into my childhood.

Are any longings revealed in your children’s favorite books? Your favorites?