I've
idolized my grandmother for about as long as my memory can provide. I was
taught to load a mean dishwasher, place crisp sheets on a bed just right,
organize a household, cook, etc. There was one Christmas, however, that she has
stood out in my memories. It was the Christmas my Grandma patiently taught me
to make crafts. Grandma does some serious senior scrap-booking, but her
crafting is legendary.
Traveling through the woods and over the river accurately describes going to my Grandma’s
house this particular year. I was 9 years old and Christmas held every promise
in the world for me. After 10 hours in the car with 3 other siblings, I was
ready to get out and enjoy the wintry scene laid before me at my Grandparents
house.
As I entered
the house, the smell of cookies and bread ran into my nose. Nothing beats the
aroma of homemade goods…especially Grandma’s. Though that day, the dining room
table is what caught my eye. Set up for us kids were crystal beads, ruby red
and emerald green. Grandma explained that she wanted to teach us how to make
Christmas ornaments for the tree. I desperately wanted to get started because
any time with grandma was deeply "treasured" time.
For hours
Grandma sat with me and my siblings and helped us thread beads onto our wire.
We made stars, bells, candy canes, etc. Every single ornament was uniquely
designed by our own hand. We placed the ornaments on the Christmas tree and hit
the lights when we finally finished our task. I still can picture those little
ornaments to this day. The colored light that burst through the beads was
nothing short of magical.
It didn't
matter even though we didn't have any material possessions that Christmas. We
had a Grandma who cared enough to spend quality time with us. I can't help but
want to try a little harder as I sit with my own two sons now and reflect on
that winter day so long ago.
Taking time for crafting with kids, teaching them
to use their hands and imaginations is invaluable. Showing them how to invent
and create different crafts and projects will help in their development. It’s
hard to get away from those every day distractions that face us and life has
seemed to speed up. For me, it's time to get back to the basics. It's time to
give my kids their own memories to smile fondly upon in years to come.
by Jennifer Stevens
A Christmas To Remember
