To Zoe – From Savannah

It is hard to have a friend move away…not a particularly happy time, but this event sparked a happy idea.My 8 year old granddaughter, Savannah, arrived at our weekly family dinner on Monday night with a boxed necklace and a request, “Lolli can you help me wrap this gift for my friend Zoe?  She is moving away and tomorrow is her last day at school and I want to give her something special so she knows how much we like her and will miss her.”

Savannah is truly a sweet child, sensitive to other’s feelings and needs.  When she learned that her classmate and friend, Zoe and her family, were relocating to another state to care for Zoe’s ailing grandmother, she wanted to do something to ensure that Zoe felt special.  So she asked their teacher, Mrs. Anders, if the class could each make cards for Zoe to write her notes which she could keep.  They did.  That was a lovely thought and gift in itself,  but Savannah wanted to do a little something more for her friend.  She got Zoe a little neklace and brought it to my house to wrap.  It just so happened that I had just purchased some clear cello paper with colorful confetti printed on it.  Since I often use plain white butcher paper to wrap gifts, I thought putting the cello paper over it would make a cute gift wrap.  I pulled it out to show Savannah, took one look at her expression, and instantly knew it wasn’t what she had in mind.

“Lolli that is really nice paper but it looks so festive.  My friend Zoe is moving away so it doesn’t seem really appropriate to use such happy paper when we want her to know we will miss her.”  (I told you she is sensitive.)  Then the “idea” light bulb went off in her little head.  “Lolli how about if I just use your plain white paper and draw a picture of me and Zoe and use that for the wrapping paper?”

And that’s how the idea was born.  Savannah cut off a piece of the butcher paper the size she thought she would need and drew a cute picture of herself and her friend with a tree and a big sun.  Then she wrapped up the necklace.

Now here is the happy idea.  Why not let your children draw on large pieces of paper (butcher paper is ideal for this) and wrap all the gifts they are giving in their artwork?  It’s perfect for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and of course, Christmas and Hanukkah.  It lets your children get involved and be creative and most children love that opportunity.  And anyone who receives a gift wrapped in your child’s artwork really receives a double gift….the one wrapped AND the wrapping!  You can see what joy it brings to the one drawing the wrapping paper.

Giving someone, especially a child, the opportunity to express their love for another, brings so much joy to everyone.  And expressing love and joy makes life SO abundant.  And isn’t that the very best gift of all?  🙂