Today
was a “red letter” day for Ina. Jack carried her boxes to the mailbox – six in
all. What an accomplishment! They estimated what the cost would be and left
money in the mailbox. With tomorrow’s delivery, the mailman would leave an accounting
with either their change or a bill for the remainder.
When
planning gifts, Ina put on her thinking cap. It didn’t occur to Ina to ask what
someone wanted for Christmas. In fact, she didn’t cultivate the contemplation
of wants in herself or her children. She was more apt to fill a need than a
want. To Ina, gifts weren’t about meeting the desire of the recipient’s heart. It
was giving that mattered, not the gift. She looked into her storehouse in order
to find a gift that might be useful to the recipient. Sometimes the gifts
weren’t new. They shared books they had already read, for instance. They also
gave away the “premiums” they received through the purchase of seed or feed. One
such gift was a fountain pen that she sent to grandson Stanley; another was a
tote bag to daughter Pearl. Her homemade jams, jellies, and preserves were
always appreciated but only given if she had extra.
Today
was special because Jack came back from the mailbox with many Christmas cards.
Seeing the stack, Ina’s heart swelled with Christmas joy. Quickly she made a
fresh pot of coffee and pulled ginger cookies from the jar. Jack was already
seated at his place, the stack of cards in front of him, ready to begin their
Christmas card ritual.
Suddenly
Ina stopped short as Jack said, “Wait!” They had both remembered that the card
ritual wasn’t just for them this year. They needed to wait for Shirley Anne. In
fact, there were several cards addressed to her, and she would love to share
them. Yes, they would wait. Instead, Ina pulled out her December copy of The
Christian Herald, and Jack perused The Farmer’s Journal as they enjoyed their
coffee and cookies.
But
it was lovely after their simple supper of . . . – well, I don’t know what they
ate except cornbread, and it was delicious! – to sit down together again to
open the cards. It was one of the best parts of Christmas, Ina thought –
beautiful designs, sincere sentiments. In those days, even neighbors exchanged
cards.
Shirley
Anne had a nice card from her mother saying that she hoped to see her on
Christmas Eve. She also received a card from her grandmother who lives in
Seattle, saying that she looks forward to having Shirley Anne live close to her
now. KW
2 comments:
I bet they had vegetable barley stew with that cornbread. A quick trip to the cold storage for some carrots and potatoes and a jar of crushed tomatoes from the pantry. Makes up quick and warms the body on a cold day.
I'll bet your right. And when Ina felt a heartier meal was in order, she would add some of her canned beef.
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