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| Source: Wikipedia...White House tree |
As Papa carved a wooden doll, he
muttered, “She will be as stiff as
last year’s Christmas tree…”
Mama laughed. “That is because this trunk is from last year’s tree! From the church!”
It had been a huge tree, nearly
twenty feet tall. The trunk revealed
itself to be large and well-formed. Papa
could see a doll in the wood for his precious daughter, Natalia.
Mama fashioned a gown from Papa’s
crimson flannel shirt, now mottled with time. She had spent weeks spinning and weaving a blanket with a border of lines resembling railroad tracks. This would cover a little girl, holding her
new doll.
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| Source: on ebay...interesting site! |
To some people, such a small gift
would appear to be insignificant. To a little girl named Natalia, it would mean
everything.
I loved your take on the words. Absolutely lovely.
ReplyDeleteI put my Christmas Tree up Sunday lol
I will wait until after Thanksgiving. My gr-daughters will help put everything up.
DeleteWhat a lovely little story....so much love going into a gift for a little girl.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to tell me off her own mother sewing and making dolls.
DeleteSomething little can mean a lot to someone
ReplyDeleteOne special gift is worth more than a tree's bounty.
DeleteThe best and most meaningful things I have been given in life were handmade by my mom.
ReplyDeleteLovely story, Susan, and one that brought back memories.
I thought of my mom when I wrote this. Maybe a bit mushy for some, but the words led me to that point.
DeleteMy most treasured possession is a Santa that my grandfather made in the early years of the 20th century. This story is not mushy, at least not to me. It rings very true, maybe because I remember my grandparents creating beautiful things with their hands.
ReplyDeleteFor readers who did not have those precious hand-made gifts and not understand the importance of such, this may seem "mushy". I wish everyone could have that experience that I had.
DeleteThis is beautiful. And the hand-made things are the ones that get cherished - long after the batteries have died and the plastic cracked.
ReplyDeleteMy own children have told me that, since when I was a young mother, I made many hand-made gifts (usually involving sewing and art).
DeleteAll it takes it a gift from the heart
ReplyDeleteA gift from the heart made by loving hands.
DeleteThis is a very moving story and reminds me of the year I got a doll for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteOne year I rec'd a Betsy Wetsy doll, complete with hand-made dresses from my grandmother.
DeleteHand made gifts are always the best. How meaningful when someone takes precious time to make you something.
ReplyDelete