Thankful for Green Stamps..........

 

Me in 1957

 I have seen that many, many people are taking the month of November to be thankful each day.  So, in order to catch up, my yesterday's post began the month, thankful for the presence of Jesus in my life.  Today, I am thankful for Green Stamps and this little rocking chair.  I have very clear memories of the Christmas that this musical rocking chair showed up under the Christmas Tree.  We had just moved to a new town and I remember well the story that my mom told about that Christmas.  All of the presents under our tree that year were acquired with Green Stamps!  (Okay - how many of you remember these? I recall spending time sitting at the kitchen table with a wet sponge to moisten the back of sheets of stamps, as we filled up those books.)



This was a crazy time for my mom, she had lost her dad and her aunt within one year, and then our family had moved to a new town.  In addition to all of this, my oldest sister was away at college, my oldest brother was in high school, other sister in junior high, brother in grade school and I was a preschooler.  Yep, this sounds like an awful lot to be dealing with.  And, there was not much money.  But with those wonderful stamps, everyone got exactly the right present.  Mine was that little chair.  I loved that chair.  It was really something that was all mine and had never belonged to one of my siblings.  I am so thankful that my mom understood how much I loved this chair.  When our family moved to Illinois when I was in 8th grade, my dad wanted to get rid of this chair.  My mom would not hear of it.  So this chair came with us.  And it stayed in my parent's attic until they retired and moved back to Minnesota.  I remember when they brought several large boxes to my present house, along with this chair.  Ken thought it was totally nuts that this stuff had been saved. 

 

Then, after Gwen was born, it was so amazing to take out this chair and have her sit in it.  This was Thanksgiving of 1981,  Before Doug was born.  I love this picture.  I know that Doug spent time sitting in that chair also, but I couldn't find any pictures to prove it.  I think that Gwen had claimed this chair and she didn't let him sit in it very often.  When she outgrew this chair, I insisted that we save it.  Ken was not very happy shifting it around in the attic, but I am so thankful that we did.

Because here is Lia, sitting in that chair in 2007.  I remember when Gwen gave me this picture.  There is something so special about seeing this chair being used by my grandkids.

And here are Ellie and Zeke in that chair in 2012.  The chair is a little beaten up now.  There are hunks of wood missing from it. But the music still played.  It really doesn't matter to me what it looks like.  It is the idea that three generations have used that chair.  And more than that, it was MY special chair. 

 

So tonight I am thankful for those Green Stamps.  I am thankful that my mom found a way to give our family a wonderful Christmas by collecting those stamps.  And I love that this chair survived so many moves and so many years of being stowed away.  And I am, once again, thankful for pictures that preserve this memory. 

 

You know, sometimes it is the smallest things that can really give you a lift.  Just looking at these pictures makes me smile.  I am sure that my mom had no idea when she picked it out, how special that little chair would be 56 years later.  Knowing that my mom made that selection especially for me, still makes my heart happy. I love how Jesus keeps reminding me of the small things that have become very important to me.  How many times have we heard that the little things make a big difference.  This is really just one very little thing that continues to have a big impact on my life.   I bet that many of you can look around and find things in your own life like this little chair.  Maybe you don't own those items any more, but you still have the memories.  Cherish these things, and more importantly, share these memories with those you love.  I wish I had told my mom exactly how much I appreciated that little chair. 

 

Jesus, thank you so much for the family that you planned for me!  Thank you for my mom and dad and the many ways that they made sure that I had  a wonderful home and many, many extras like this little chair.  Thank you for preserving this special item and these memories for me.  Holy Spirit, remind those reading this to be thankful for the smallest things.  Jesus, thank you for my family - past, present and future!  Amen