Written by So, we’re rapidly nearing the very end of this month’s art challenge, and I hope those of you who’ve joined me this month have been having a wonderful smile-inducing time! And I also hope you’ll be joining me for next month’s art challenge of Outdoor Fun as we celebrate all the wonderful things to be discovered there! June is always a fun month to play and practice as we gear up for the ultimate challenge of World Watercolor Month in July! So just join when you can and have a lot of fun! But don’t miss July! It’s going to be amazing! For our prompt of pandas today, I opted for a red panda, which has been considered a relative of the giant panda and also a raccoon, giving scientists fits when trying to classify them. It’s still known as a “lesser panda” which, to me, is a horrible name for any living creature. It would be the human equivalent of being known as the “lesser sibling” in a family. While that may or may not be true, one knows we simply never talk about it. Also, this little guy is on the endangered list as well. So, I’m rooting for the lesser panda to survive and thrive for many years to come.
Speaking of siblings, I was the youngest child in our family. My brother and sister are actually 13 and 12 years older, respectively. This meant that as a very young child I had babysitters and by the age of five or six, both siblings happened to marry and move on, so I basically grew up as an only child. I was a ring bearer in my sister’s wedding, though I was terribly sick and threw up a few times before managing my way down the aisle. This had nothing to do with the wedding, and I definitely approved of her choice, it was just a case of bad timing. The pictures show a resolute Little Charlie determined to do his job according to instruction while bearing a perfectly unmistakable “please just shoot me now and put me out of my misery” look on his face. I was terribly young, so those memories tend to fade entirely, but thanks to a touch of flu, I can perfectly remember the moment. In truth, I was a bit sad to see my sister get married. She was like a second mother to me and since her husband was in the Army, she was shipped off to Germany soon after.
This, of course, has nothing to do with pandas, but those of you who follow my posts know they are simply a stream of consciousness and I make no warranties. I guess in the end, these little red creatures just made me think of what feeling “lesser” must be like. Though I was certainly the very youngest in my little family, I don’t remember ever feeling that way. This was because I was always surrounded by love and encouragement. Though my mother would always say, “don’t encourage him” she secretly enjoyed whatever attention I received. It was, after all, not a reflection on her, but indeed the very reflection of her that those people were responding favorably to and encouraging. So she felt a bit of pride and a glimpse of her younger self, doing much the same thing. Like all good parents, she never quite admitted that my antics were a perfect mirror of her own, but gleefully enjoyed watching them happen. And today, I just want to empower and encourage as many people as I can. Thanks, Mom, for teaching me there’s never a good reason to ever feel “lesser” because, in the end, we’re all just little pandas in the trees.
About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Nickel Azo Yellow, Terra Cotta, Cobalt Blue (my Da Vinci Trio, Click Here to Learn More!) + Leaf Green. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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I’ll bet you were spoiled terribly, but you’ve done well in spite of it, lol. Love your red panda!
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕hehe! I probably was for sure! But with a healthy dose of compassion that sort of evened everything out. 😉
Wonderful story tonight, Charlie and I love the Red Panda.
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed the story!
I am the youngest of 2, my brother being 10 years older than me, so my childhood was similar to yours. I was 7 when my brother moved away to UC Berkeley for college. I cried, but hid it from my parents because I knew they were sad, too. Yay for moms who enjoy their children’s antics! And I love red pandas (my preferred name for them).
Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕 Awww… that’s such a sweet story! Yeah, it’s tough to see our siblings move away from us. But they can never escape our hearts!
All though we always says a good story but behind that a deep pain hurt me.so many times. You are a simble of boldness .And 🐼 is creation by u.very pretty.amazing.l don’t know how much you can understand me. But l love ur post n waiting for July.
Thanks so much li
I think and hope I understand you very well, my friend! 😃💕 Your words are a joy to receive and encourage me to continue each and every day!
I always think of a Panda as black and white. Didn’ t even know there was a red panda until today. Thank you. It’s a great looking panda too.
Thanks so much, June! 😃💕 yeah, this one is called a Red Panda, but I think is now in it’s own class as scientists can’t quite figure it out. hehe… my kind of panda! I think I can relate! lol
My little sister may not be the lesser sibling, but I’m pretty sure I’m the greater sibling!😈😈😂😂
Lol… awww it’s the perfect beauty of sibling relationships revealed! 😃💕 Love it!
You did it again, Charlie, totally captivated me with your story. Weddings are stressful for little kids even if they’re also fun. It’s unfortunate that your biggest memory of your sister’s wedding is being sick.
We were married in a very simple ceremony in my parents’ backyard around a large pool that was the centerpiece. At one point, one of my dad’s friends got a little nutty and threw my dad in the pool, shoes, wallet, watch, and all. As I was trying to help fish him out, four other of my parents’ friends all got dunked in as well. All of our friends, the younger folks, were perfectly well behaved. I can’t tell you if I ate a thing, I never tasted the cake, we don’t have a single decent photo of my husband and I together, but I remember in great detail all five men dog paddling in the pool, fully clothed. Wedding of the century.
And I love your mighty red panda – such an intense expression on her face. You did a really wonderful job on the fur – looks so soft.
Glad you enjoyed this one, Sharon! hehe!! 😃💕In the end, though, aren’t those really the best memories of all! The ones that transcend the ordinary and remind us that, no matter what, we’re all just stupidly human and well, it’s actually a rather fun thing to be! I adore your story!
Hello
Well, hello there, Yin! 😃
“Thanks, Mom, for teaching me there’s never a good reason to ever feel “lesser” because, in the end, we’re all just little pandas in the trees.”
Awesome! all of it!
Aww thanks so much, Sarah! 😃💕 So happy you enjoyed this one!