A Childhood Classic Passed On

It is no secret that I love books. Usually the movie adaptions are pretty weak- with few exceptions.

One of these is "Anne of Green Gables" I do not know who made the movie but I recall it being on channel 11 when I was little.

First- this was one of my favorite novel series ever. I still have my well loved and dog-eared copies of these books. Anne was one of the first heroines that I truly loved- I identified with her not the orphan part but the looking for 'kindred spirit' and her sense of imagination.

Second- the movie series stuck remarkably close to the books (until the third movie) and it came alive for me.

I remember looking at the Sunday Chicago Tribune TV guide and being thrilled when it would be shown on Channel 11 (PBS).

One visit to the library browsing through the kids dvds and I noticed they had the dvd series. I was thrilled. My heart soared. Memories of Mrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup and the burnt orange sofa in my parents family room came flooding back.

Immediately I checked it out. Then the ambivalence started. Should I watch it? What if it was not as I remembered and my childhood memories lose their magic? So I did not watch it that time.

Every time I visited the dvd section of the Young Peoples Department I looked at it- and considered. This last week I checked it out. Today we watched it. Princess sat rapt- watching Anne grow and I could see in her eyes the affection that I felt for the character. The magic of my memories live on. Stronger than ever now- I got to share one of the pleasures of my upbringing with my daughter and she does not even have to wait for the TV guide to announce that it was on.