8/31/11

I have my baby shower coming up this weekend and my hubby is so much more stressed out about it than I am. He has been working hard cleaning the garage because that's where we're having the party and he's done a fantastic job. Last night he decided he needed to clean the siding on the house in the rain at 8:00 at night. I really don't think anyone is going to care whether or not the siding is clean, but it makes him feel better so I'm not going to argue. 

My parents and my sister and her family just got back from Maine. My parents were both born and raised there so we still have lots of family there including my mom's sister who gave me the most special shower gift. My mom couldn't wait to give it to me.

The day family got back my mom called me and told me that my aunt had sent back an extra special gift though she didn't understand why my aunt would choose to give it to the least sentimental person in the family. Let me correct my mother here. It's not that I'm not sentimental, I just don't cry. I also don't get attached to too many things though there are some stand out things that I can't part with. I often give thoughtful, sentimental gifts. For example for my mom's birthday this past spring I gave her a framed picture of her parents on their wedding day and on their 50th wedding anniversary. My grandfather passed away many years ago and my grandmother will be 95 in October. This inexpensive, but thoughtful gift made her cry so I don't know why she would say I'm not sentimental.

My mom told me that she couldn't wait until the shower to give this gift from my aunt to me she had to give it to me before our family dinner on Sunday. When I got there Sunday it didn't take her long to run and get it. She brought me the gift, it wasn't wrapped it was just in a clear plastic bag. My mom held onto it for a second and told me that this was an extra special gift because each of the little squares stitched into it were hand made. Inside the bag with the small quilt there was a card that contained a note explaining the story. When my aunt was 10 years old her grandmother (my great grandmother who had passed away long before I was born) taught her how to cross stitch. When my aunt was older she took the hankies she had made way back then and started making this quilt for her own child she thought she would one day have. Unfortunately God could not bless her with a child so she held on to this quilt. She held on to it even after my other aunts three children had children. She held onto it after my uncle's daughter had 3 children. And she held on to it after my brother and sister both had their children and decided to pass it on to me. 

I don't know exactly why she chose me, but I can't help but wonder if it's because she knew and understood the trouble Josh and I had trying to get pregnant with this baby. I cried when I read the story and when I thought about how lucky I am to have this piece of my family history. And it matches the baby's room :)

I'm glad my mom gave me this gift before my shower. I can't imagine that anything I get at the shower will be that special and I wouldn't want to make anyone feel bad. I know I will love the gifts we get at the shower, but this stand out gift deserved to stand alone.

What was the most special thing that you have ever gotten or given?