Looking at my Christmas tree in all its splendor, holiday instrumentals playing softly in the background, while sipping from my first morning cup…fills me with serenity and contentment.  In this moment, all is right with my world.  I will admit that if I zoom out and let everything that’s going on in my life come into focus, I have my share of challenges.  However, in this moment, all is right with my world.

My eyes land on the ornament from my granddaughter.  She is so enchanted with fairies right now that she insisted on making an ornament and sending it to me.  It is a picture of “Ruby-the-Red-Fairy,” which she hand-colored and meticulously cut out just for me.  I’m amazed at her dexterity given she is only seven years old.

When she discovered that one of her uncles was coming to help decorate our tree, she immediately went to work calculating when her ornament needed to be put in the mail in order for us to get it on time.  Once her master plan was in place, she immediately went into action.  

I happened to be on the phone with her the day she completed it and requested an envelope from her dad.  I heard the disappointment in her voice when she discovered the standard envelope would not accommodate the ornament without it being folded. 

“Oh no!  The envelope is too small!  “Ruby-the-Red-Fairy” will get all wrinkled!”

“Just fold her carefully until she fits in the envelope and when I get it, I will iron the wrinkles out of her.”  I advised.

“You can’t iron paper, GrandMama!” her voice filled with disbelief that I should suggest such a thing.  

“Of course we can, I’ve done it many times!  You put the piece of paper between two thin layers of fabric and the heat takes the wrinkles right out of the paper!”

“R-e-a-l-l-y ???”  I could picture her eyes wide open with amazement.  

“…Okay!!!”  Her delight made my heart sing!

I called to let her know when I received her ornament a day prior to her uncle’s arrival.  The squeal on the other end was priceless.

As I look at this ornament now hanging on my tree, “Ruby-the-Red-Fairy” is made all the sweeter because I picture my little granddaughter’s concentration on maneuvering the scissors with utmost care, probably with lips pursed and brows furrowed.  It is precious not because of the material it’s made of but for the love that is unmistakably infused in it.  The time she put into it and the joy she derived from making it…that’s what I see when I look at it.  That she feels close enough to me to want to share what is most precious to her binds our hearts together.

~Zanne

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