Greatest Gift

Today’s prompt for Bloganuary is about the greatest gift someone could give. It’s quite apropos given we’re just coming out of gift-giving season. I don’t know about you, but I have gift-giving fatigue. As the boys get older, it’s getting increasingly hard to buy gifts that they’ll use. We bought a lot of experiential gifts when they were growing up, but that’s harder now that we all live in different places.

One gift that I’ve gotten this week is great weather. It’s been nice and cool here, so I started running outside with Arrow. While I had the confidence to restart running outside, I wasn’t sure how Arrow would manage. Thankfully, he’s got no problem going the distance and manages to smile the whole time like Athena used to do. Unfortunately, he hasn’t mastered running right beside me all the time. He nearly tripped me several times when we ran in front or off to the side. He’s also hip-checked a few times, but I was able to keep it steady. It’s a work in progress, but it’s going well.

What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

The greatest gift someone can give you is their time and their stories. I spent a lot of time with my Grandma last month and it was wonderful. She and I talked about many things, but I enjoyed hearing stories of her childhood and raising children. Times were undoubtedly much different when she was growing up and raising kids, but the concerns we face as parents remain the same. We still worry about the family budget, how our kids do in school, and neighborhood bullies.

I found some great pictures of her and her family dating back to the 40s, which were so cool. At my folk’s house, I found an envelope of pics my feet aunt had taken back in the early 80s. There were a lot of pics of my brother and I with my mom and grandma. These ladies are always up for adventure, it’s no wonder I love to explore the world and hike the mountains. There was one picture of my grandma and me that I particularly loved (it’s now hanging on my wall) where I’m leading her through a trail and she’s following behind keeping me safe. It’s a powerful reminder that my grandma has had my back since day one.

One thing that my Grandma enjoyed was hearing that I still make her mom’s recipes. Her face lit up! Recipes and the food we eat have an amazing way of connecting us to our roots and heritage. When we cook those recipes passed down from generation to generation, it keeps those folks alive. Maybe it’s the post-run stupor talking, but your girl is sentimental today. I’ll leave you all with a prayer request for the day. Today some people that I love tremendously experience a terrible loss. Please say a little prayer that God may bring them some comfort.