A MOST CHERISHED GIFT

What is the measure of a gift? Is it the item you buy? How much you spend? How many gifts you get? How can one person decide what gift comes from your heart?

I would like to believe that deep inside our hearts we are not a greedy people. I would like to believe when a person, someone you love gives you a gift you would cherish and love the gift with all your heart.

A gift is a treasure, one that will make you happy and make you smile. I love giving meaningful gifts. It makes me smile when my friends and family open their gifts and I love seeing their happy faces. It warms my heart when I see the gift, I gave to them still as brand new as the day I gave it to them.

I started this tradition of giving meaningful gifts when I received my first treasured gift from my grandmother. My grandmother was a special woman with a special talent for gift giving.

The most treasure gift I received from my grandmother was a locket, a four-heart locket. I was only ten, a young girl given a great responsibility. I held onto this locket throughout my childhood into adulthood. I never let it go. But now it's time for me to pass this most treasure gift to my daughter Emmy.

Emmy is the type of person who loves to receive gifts but the gifts she gets I'm not too fond of. She likes to get a bunch of clothes makeup and the latest technology. I love my daughter but she doesn't know the true meaning of gift giving. I want to show her how special a gift can be.

It's the holiday season, a mad dash to get the latest and most expensive gift possible. For me the mall annoys me. I like to go to Mom and Pop stores. That's where you can find true special gifts that mean so much oren than an expensive gift.

Aside from giving Emmy my four-heart locket, I want to give Emmy something that reminds me of when she was a little girl. My most cherished memory of Emmy is taking her to the Carousel at West Lake Park. I will never forget Emmy's smile.

So, I'm on the hunt for a Carousel. I want Emmy to understand that gifts don't have to be all about clothes, makeup or the latest technology. They can mean so much more.

I get into my car and drive to the first Mom and Pop store. I've been to this store so many times to buy my gifts. The owner knows me. I arrive at the store and just as I expected no one is here.

I get out of my car and enter the store. I greet the owner Mrs. Wells. This store is called Antiques by Wells is so beautiful. The items here are handcrafted. Some are bought at auction. All in all everything is beautiful.

I look around the store picking up a few things like a beautiful handmade mirror, a beautiful antique clock and two China dolls. What I don't see is a Carousel. I don't let that dampen my spirit. I pay for my items and leave.

Okay, so onto the next store. I get back in my car and drive to the next store Crafts by Susie. This is another store I love. Susie makes the most amazing handcrafted items. This is also the place where I buy many of my gifts not just for family and friends but also for me.

I park my car and enter Crafts by Susie. I look around, pick up some items like a handmade cuckoo clock, a beautiful horse and another China doll. I look around for a Carousel. I didn't find one.

I go and ask Susie if she knows where to find a Carousel or possibly if she can make me one. "All done Jen?" I nod. I put my items on the counter and ask Susie "Do you know where I can find a Carousel or if it's possible you can make me one?"

I pray Susie says yes. She looks at me for a moment and says "The Carousel is for your daughter." I nod. "Then I will be happy to make one." I smile and say "Thank you. Can you engrave Emmy's name in the front of the Carousel." Susie nods.

I give Susie my cell number, pay for my items, thank Susie again and leave. This is amazing. I can't wait to see how the Carousel looks.

My other treasure gift is at home. I head home ready to fix the locket. I'm pleased with how the day went. I love the items I bought.

I arrive at my home and head upstairs to my room to get my locket. I pick up my locket and open it. I begin to cry looking at my grandmother. She was the most important person in my life.

My grandmother raised me and taught me the importance of gift giving. I hope I can teach Emmy this. There are two open hearts in the locket that need to be filled. So, I'm going to find pictures of Emmy by herself and pictures of me and Emmy together and I'm going to put them in the locket.

I look through my photo album, there are so many beautiful pictures of Emmy. I can't decide which one I want to put in the locket. I look and look and look, then I find the perfect two pictures.

One picture is of Emmy smiling at the park. She looks so beautiful. The next picture is of me and Emmy together. This picture was taken during our annual mother daughter vacation.

I carefully cut the pictures into hearts and place them in the locket. Perfect, the pictures fit perfectly inside the locket. Emmy is going to love it. I just know it. I close the locket and place it inside the box.

Two days later, the Carousel is ready. I get into my car and drive to Crafts by Susie. I park my car and head inside. I greet Susie. "Hi Susie."

"Hi Jen. The Carousel is ready. Here it is."

Susie opens the box for me, inside the box is the most beautiful piece of art I ever seen. The Carousel has many beautiful colors of green, blue and shades of white. Emmy is going to love it.

"Thank you. Emmy is going to love it."

I pay for the Carousel and head home. Emmy should be home from school any minute. I can't wait to give Emmy her presents. I arrive home, grab the Carousel and head inside.

I grab the locket, put it beside the Carousel and wait for Emmy to come home. I'm getting nervous. Five minutes later I hear the door unlocking. I see my beautiful daughter enter.

"Mom, I'm home."

"Come to the living room."

I see Emmy walking to the living room. I see her eyes growing wide. "Mom, what is this?"

"These are for you."

Emmy opens the Carousel first. I see her smile. "This is so beautiful mom." She opens the next gift. "Oh My God? Mom this is your locket. I wasn't expecting this. Why did you give me the gifts.?"

"I gave you these gifts because I love you, because these gifts mean so much to me and because I want to show you gifts can mean so much more than what you know ."

"Mom, these gifts are the most beautiful, meaningful gifts I never expected to get. I will always cherish them. I will always love them and you."