Monday Moments with Mimi--The Meaning of Special

Tonight's inspirational post from Mimi is such a great reminder about the beautiful simplicity of childhood and the pure faith that children have!!!  I love this sweet story and hope you are blessed by it as well.  Thanks for dropping by!  Shannon :-)

The Meaning of “Special”

For those of you that have wondered when my Christmas decorations would finally be coming down, wonder no more!!!   Early Saturday morning we began the ordeal of packing away the season until next year.  With my granddaughter’s help, we divided and conquered the task of putting away the nativities, trees, Santa collections, and greenery. 

Friday night we had a sleepover and kicked off the morning early with delicious pancakes she helped me make, cook, and eat!!!  Our fun was put on the back burner for awhile, however, with all of the morning’s work left to do!!!  I gave her simple, but precise instructions, for the jobs at hand.  We were basically undoing all the decorating that she and her older brothers had done just a few weeks earlier.
 

After all of these years, she knows the routine well!!!  She started with the red and gold tree in my den.   I told her that all the tree’s bows were to go in the tall box, unbreakable balls in the gold wire container, and all the rest were to be put in the oblong, blue plastic container. 

Then, I handed her a large zip-lock bag for the “special” ornaments…as I wondered if she really knew the qualifiers for my “special” ornaments.  I possess a few new fragile and older sentimental ornaments that need to be bubble-wrapped.  I could do that later.  For the moment, I just wanted them carefully put into the plastic bag to keep them separate. 

I left her happily in charge of the den tree and was sure she had her part of the task under control.  The last stern instruction that I gave her was NO CLIMBING; I would be back to do the higher branches myself later!!!!  All was well and understood!!!

After checking on her progress and even helping with the high branches, I was very, very pleased with our progress.  I returned to my task of gathering up the greenery, cards, and miscellaneous trees from other rooms.  I heard her say she was done, and she asked me what was next.  I turned to look at her as she proudly declared, “Mimi, I even have your very special ornaments done.” She held up the large zip-lock bag for me to see.
 

The bag was not filled with the older sentimentals or even new breakables, but rather her chosen “special” one.   The only item in the bag was a six inch spike nail tied with a red ribbon.  The bag was sealed, and she had successfully completed her part.  She handed me the “special” ornament in the bag with a sense of great accomplishment. And in that moment the only response I could even articulate was, “Well done, my sweet child!!!”

Like some of you may already know or may even have yourselves, the nail ornament is nothing ornately special, but it hangs in the branches of my tree year after year as a tribute to the birth and life of Christ.  Later I asked her, “Sadie do you know why that nail ornament was special?” She nodded and said that she remembered talking about it when we all decorated the tree.  She thought a minute and then added that the nail story happens in the Spring—usually in April—when her birthday is. She pondered another minute, and I could clearly see the child’s mind whirring, “Mimi, I am glad that my birthday is when the cross and the nail story is, because it makes my birthday more special?”

What a sweet remembrance for the close of my Christmas Season.  I smiled thinking of the nail ornament in the tightly sealed baggie that she had designated as “special.”  This ornament’s reminders are not relative to age or frailty, but rather eternity and strength.  I have since then been back through the oblong blue plastic container to pull out a few of my fragile ornaments that she missed.  But in retrospect, she really did not miss a thing!!  I have my ornaments securely bubble wrapped, and they are ready for the attic journey until next year.  And next December, I will smile in my heart, as I have added one more special ornament to my precious zip-lock bag.  Blessings, Mimi (AKA Anne)

Luke 18:16, “But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”