It was almost Christmas and she still had nothing for Grammy. What do you get someone who has
everything? And what do you buy to
really express how much that person means to you? She had spent all last summer at the old
cottage with her grandmother. Just the
two of them. The cottage was small but
cozy and just across the dirt road from the secluded, private beach. The warm days were spent combing the sand for
seashells and sand dollars, splashing in the cold ocean water, and climbing the
rocks to search for hidden tide pools. Every night they had a small bonfire on the
beach and cooked up seafood they had gathered earlier from the mud flats. Grammy told her stories about her childhood,
growing up in Ireland. Stories about her
family traveling to the US on a ship that sailed for weeks. About starting a new life in a new country
and how it made her stronger. About
marrying and have children, raising those children as best she could after her
husband died young. About becoming a
grandmother and being able to relax and enjoy spending time with all her
precious grandchildren.
It has to be the best gift ever!
Just any old thing won’t do. But what?! She was too old to get away with making some kind
of craft, plus she wasn’t particularly good at crafts. Grammy loved music, but she didn’t know how
to sing or play music, so that wouldn’t work.
Grammy loved to read, maybe she could write a story. Well, probably not, she wasn’t very good at
writing. Or maybe she could make some
sort of scrap book or collage with pictures.
No, that wouldn’t work. She didn’t
have the money for the supplies nor the creativity to create either.
Slowly she trudged to her Grandmother’s house. She inched her way up the steps, disappointed
that she couldn’t come up with anything good enough as a gift for her
Grandmother. She rang the doorbell and
waited with her head hung low and her shoulders slumped, her hands shoved in
her jacket pockets and her foot kicking the clumps of snow at the edge of the
doorway.
“Oh, Angie! Come in dear!” Grammy waved her in. The air smelled of fresh baked gingerbread
and cocoa. Grammy’s smile lit up the
room as she hung Angie’s coat on the rack.
She ushered her into the kitchen.
As Angie sat down, Grammy put a cup of hot cocoa with mini
marshmallows floating on top and a plate of gingerbread cookies in front of
her. Grammy got a cup of hot tea and sat
down across from her.
“What a wonderful surprise!” Grammy said. “How are you dear?”
“Not good.” Angie pouted and
stared into her cocoa. “You see. I’ve spent the past week trying to come up
with the best Christmas gift for you and…I couldn’t do it.” Her voice trailed off.
“Now dear, don’t you know?
You’ve already given me the best Christmas gift ever.” Grammy stretched her hand across the table
and patted Angie’s hand.
“I have?” Angie looked
puzzled.
“Yes, dear.” Grammy
smiled. “It’s you.”
Angie took a moment, then brightened, jumped up from her chair, raced over to her Grammy and gave her a big hug.
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