Image by zephyrbunny via Flickr
Steve and I had a wonderful conversation with our son Chris yesterday. His question: “What makes a perfect Christmas gift, like the kind you (Steve and I) gave to your parents. You know, the kind that would make Grammie laugh with delight?” We didn’t exactly answer that question, but we talked about the traditional gift that was given every year.
Grammie was a dedicated Avon shopper. About 1966 she discovered “soap on a rope” to be a perfect gift. She gave one to all the men in the family. As the years passed and the men continued to get “soap on a rope” there were laughs and groans. The laughs were probably generated because they kept coming year after year. The groans were probably a result of not knowing what to do with the “soap on a rope.” Steve built up a collection of twenty or so in the bathroom closet before we realized the “soap on a rope” was beginning to take up quite a bit of room that was needed for everyday things.
Other family traditions included food. Today I washed Grammie’s Santa candy dish that she always used for serving her special peanut-butter cherry fudge. Diet restrictions have eliminated the fudge, the fruit cake, the ribbon candy, and the chocolate covered cherries. We now serve mixed nuts in the Santa candy dish.
If there is a magic formula to gift giving, Steve and I have not discovered it yet. The joy of our holidays is the time we spend with our friends and family. The warmth of a smile and a hug are priceless. A remembered story is a treasure to be shared.
Mom Pop Pow – Where You Can Do It If You Try
Diane Brogan