A small cardboard box has been tossed aside, red, green and gold wrapping paper has been tattered as if a Boston Terrier made it his life mission to destroy. The plastic that protects the golden item has been half-haphazardly ripped apart and abandoned on the coffee table; all that remains is a little boy with brown eyes, bright, bold and beautiful and full of excitement and wonderment on what new adventures his new toy will take him on.
What will he do with this new action figure? What adventures will they go on? Will this stiff, hard plastic super hero cross over into different dimensions? Will he join the Ghostbusters for an adventure of busting ghosts? Will he fly over to his sisters’ room and dive into a world of pink convertibles and the social elite? Perhaps he will fly outside and crash land into the sand box only to be buried, and then dug up by the 1980s yellow Tonka truck that sits outside year round and has rust on all corners. Perhaps, at the end of the day, when it’s time for a bath, this toy will protect him from the Tsunami that hits the white backsplash as he plays in the tub. The adventures are endless. Imagination is a wonderful gift.
This boys Christmas experience will change over the years. The following years gift might become a Nintendo Wii, or an Xbox, The games he plays are Call of Duty, or another first player shoot’em up action game. The following year he might need the dreaded gift, the one we all hated growing up…Necessities! That’s right, as we get older we start getting practical gifts, from sweaters, to socks, to a vacuum. These are all essential, pragmatic gifts that help the family out in many ways. I for one was beyond thrilled when we got a vacuum; it saved me the money.
So what’s it all about?
It’s about the toy. That’s right. Christmas is about the toy. I don’t mean having an assemblage of toys; it’s about what the toy represents. It’s about imagination, wonderment and creativity. Everyone deserves a toy at Christmas. Perhaps your toy is a handmade quilt, scarf, slippers or fresh baking from a friend or family member. These are the ‘toys’ for adults. A handmade quilt can bring a lot of wonderment to your life. Think about it…
Your day is coming to a close. You are at the home stretch; it’s not quite time for bed, but a good book will do. You put on your most comfortable clothing and you curl up on your favorite corner of the couch. Your peppermint tea is steaming beside you, yet you feel a slight chill. You reach over and pull that handmade quilt onto your legs and wrap it around your waist. You notice the intricate stitching, the attention to detail and the design that is embedded into this gift. You feel warm, comfort, and cloak of affection. Whoever made this for you, put sentiment into this gift, because they love you. With that knowledge now woven into the fabric, you snuggle in a little bit deeper. This new quilt protects you from the unease of whatever eerie, dark path Stephen King is taking you on.
What an amazing toy.
