Another Link in the Chain

Today’s post is part of an ongoing blog tour. You’ll find it featured today on the sites of these talented women (Angie, Lori, Robin) along with their own original work. Take the time to drop in and meet someone new today. But while you’re here, I hope you enjoy reading “Another Link in the Chain.”

Paper chains. Whose bright idea was it to make paper chains?

“Take the glue stick out of your hair Will,” I say for at least the tenth time.

“Mom! Mine won’t stick together!” Jack whines. “I just can’t DO IT!”

“Babe, remember to put the paper through the last loop before you stick it together. O.k.?”

“Okaaay,” he reluctantly agrees, and laboriously slides a purple strip of paper through the end of his sticky, lopsided chain. Carefully he presses the ends together, and tries to wiggle his fingers loose. “Hey!!” he whines in surprise. “I’m stuck, Mom!”

I help separate him from his chain, and we both heave a sigh of relief to see the chain is still intact. He holds his work up triumphantly, all 2 feet of it. “Mine’s the longest!” he crows.

And in an instant, I’m five years old again.

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“Jodi, stop eating the popcorn,” Mama says for at least the tenth time.

Still munching, I pick up the next piece and try to slide it over the needle and onto the red string behind. It gets stuck on the kernel.

“Mom!! It won’t go! I just can’t DO THIS!” I whine.

“Try to push it through the soft part, baby.”

Mama takes the kernel off, and reinserts it the right way. Letting me take it from there, she watches as I finally succeed in pushing it down to join the straggly ranks of its crushed and mangled compatriots.

“Is it long enough yet?” I wonder.

Mama examines the pitiful length of popcorn chain I present her. “Well…maybe if we join it with Bubba’s it will be ready for the tree.”

I look over at my brother’s perfect work. He’s been quietly and carefully stringing kernel after kernel the whole time Mama’s been helping me along. And now he has an impressive length of garland to show for it. I glance back at the string I’ve worked so hard to create and contemplate how long it will take me to make it long enough to go around the tree all by itself. We planned to sing carols around the piano when we finished. And isn’t Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer coming on t.v. tonight? Suddenly, the choice is easy.

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“Let’s put ‘em all together!” Jack shouts. “Then we’ll have a MONSTER big chain!” His brothers chorus an agreement as they generally do when Jack has a Great Idea.

I help everyone link to each other’s chain and we all ooh and aah over the wonder of our finished work. I pray it will hold together long enough for them to lose interest.

“Mom, can we watch our Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer DVD?” Jack asks.

“No!” Will screams. “Dat scare me!”

“Snow White scare you, Will,” Tom reminds him. “Not Rudolph.”

“Oh,” Will says, as his brothers scamper away to find the DVD.

He reaches up to take my hand and asks hopefully, “You sing Thomas da Train song?”

I scoop him up for a hug and sing the opening theme of his Thomas the Train video as we head off to join his brothers. Old memories and new meet and mingle in my head leaving a warm glow in their wake. It’s Christmas time. And it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Have a wonderful holiday season everyone!