Treasured Letters

Jane Hogan, Utah, USA

One of the best Christmas gifts I have ever given was for my in-laws. A few months before Christmas, I contacted each of their grandchildren, most of whom were teenagers or young adults. I asked them to write down favorite memories of Grandma and Grandpa and suggested they do a page for each grandparent.

It was a good thing I started making this gift early, because some of the letters were long in coming. As I received each one, I copied it onto some festive Christmas stationery, rolled it like a scroll, and tied it with red ribbon. I then found a small treasure chest to put them in and added some fun jewelry “treasure” I bought at a thrift store.

On Christmas Day, the grandparents came to our house for the usual family party. When I gave them their present, I asked them to open it that night at their home. I knew they might be feeling lonely later on, and I knew that’s when their gift would be most appreciated.

The next day they called to say how wonderful their evening had been as they read each cherished letter. Through tears, they expressed how thankful and happy they were to have these “treasures” to read again and again. It was a special Christmas memory for all of us.