One of our favorite memories of Christmas was Grandma Phoebe's mitten tree. She made a pair of mittens for every grandchild each year. As time passed, and the number of grandchildren, and mittens, grew, she never seemed to regret starting the tradition. And even with painful arthritis, she soldiered on each year creating these cherished treasures.
Now the tradition is carried on by her daughter Bess, who lovingly works throughout the fall and winter months making them for Phoebe's GREAT-grandchildren - all 85 of them. (Those under the age of 18 anyway). Pinned along with each string of mittens is a picture of Grandma Phoebe, so she and her Christmas tradition live on in the next generation.
Our wishes for you this Christmas season is to be filled with the joy of similar traditions and warm memories of the people who made them special.
I had the priveledge to go to the Routley sibling Christmas party 2010 and see Aunt Bess' mitten tree. First of all, you are drawn to it, by the beautiful simplicity of the tree with its handmade gifts of love. I stood in front of it, transported back to when I was eight years old and I could picture Grandmas tree in her 'front room'. I stared at the tree for the longest time, amazed that something so simple could take me somewhere I hadn't been for a long time. I was reminded how lucky we are to come from a family where the best gifts came to us homemade and wrapped in love.
ReplyDelete