A Legacy of Loving Children

If it weren't for kids have you ever thought, there wouldn't be no Santa Claus
Or look what the stork just brought (not sure about this line 😂)
Thank God for Kids.
And we'd all live in a quiet house, without Big Bird or Mickey Mouse.
And Kool-Aid on the couch.
Thank God for Kids.

Thank God for Kids there's magic for a while.
A special kind of sunshine in a smile.
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why, 
The nearest thing to Heaven is a child.

Daddy, how does this thing fly?
And a hundred other where's and why's, You don't really know but you try.
Thank God for kids.
When you look down into those trusting eyes that look to you, your realize, 
There's a love you can't buy.
Thank God for Kids.

Thank God for Kids there's magic for a while.
A special kind of sunshine in a smile.
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why, 
The nearest thing to Heaven is a child.

When you get down on your knees tonight, to thank the Lord for His guiding light,
and pray that they turn our right.
Thank God for Kids. 

- Oak Ridge Boys

When I hear this song, I think of my grandparents. First, because they all loved the Oak Ridge Boys and gospel quartet kind of music. Second, Christmas was special for each of them. Particularly this week this song makes me think of my Nannie. Children brought so much joy to her life. And Christmas was possibly the happiest time of year for her. There was a fifteen-ish age range difference between myself and my oldest cousin on this side of the family. The running joke about the night I was born, is that my arrival ultimately ended up with my oldest cousin getting caught not telling the truth about where he was 😂. I don’t think I will ever live this one down! This just shows the age gap and how when we all gathered for Christmas, which was almost always a guarantee, she would have us all in her (and my al-paw) home, together.

Her birthday is the 23rd of December and mine is the 28th. Aside from being the only granddaughter at the time, we always had the “Christmas Baby” connection and she always made sure we celebrated.

My heart that is pulled towards and easily brightened by children, is something passed along to me from my Nannie! At-a-glance you could walk in their home and not necessarily see right a way that there were many things lying in wait for children. Oh the places books and toys and gadgets hid, but very well known places by the children who visited. Like the shelves in the “sitting room,” the cabinets below and the bench that opened up to a world of children’s books, many old and had soaked in the smell of the fresh wood the furniture was made of. And then through the sunroom and into the bedroom just off the side, in this closet you would find the McDonald’s Drive Thru playset, along with other toys. And then down to the basement were the treasures of my dad and his sister’s childhood were waiting. A stick horse, table and chairs and rocking chairs just our size, cowboy toys, wagons, dolls…

As I think back and I am walking through the house in my mind, I remember that the antique wooden high chair sat in the corner of the kitchen for many years after I was born- and I was the last grandchild. But now thinking back on this memory, I’m sure my Nannie wanted to make sure she was ready at any moment for great-grands to arrive! And she indeed was able to welcome the first two of her seven great grandchildren in to the world! One great grandson and one great granddaughter- who broke my reign but I couldn’t have been more delighted to welcome new members into the family! And now I know Nannie would be so happy with each great grandchild arrival! She would now have five great granddaughters and two great grandsons! One great granddaughter, of course, couldn’t wait to run back to Jesus and her great grandparents- I like to think somehow they have met ❤️

Nannie knew us all so well, and loved us in ways that will be forever remembered as “only Nannie.” Like when she received catalogs from American Girl or really any doll magazine, she would put it in a ziplock baggie, with my name on it, and have it ready the next time I came to visit. Same for my brother, except his catalogs usually consisted of clothing or racing gear.

Funny how the things we laugh about our grandparents or even our parents doing, come to bite us in the tail as we get older. Nannie had the perfect size baggie for everything! Always! Well, not only did I pick up her love for children, yep, I picked up her love of baggies! You can never have enough! And guess what? Now my niece and nephew AND my parents think it is funny that I have baggies of all sizes, but who do they come to when they need a “container” of any sort? (Side note: Nannie and I don’t reuse baggies- that’s another trait I got from her- cleanliness and very cautious about germs. Possibly why we put everything in baggies!😂)

The legacy of loving children and making them feel welcome, this is what my Nannie left with me. I have a lot of her features and some of her quirks. But she greatly influenced my way of loving children. You don’t need to have overflowing toy boxes or tons of bookshelves (although these are awesome 😊). But to make a mark in the life of a child- make things consistent- try not to move the things around too much that are important to them. Pay attention to what they gravitate to, where they feel the most comfortable, and make these things priority.

And I am always going to encourage you to look into the eyes of children, but also I challenge you this coming week, to see the world, Christmas, the wonder of it all THROUGH their eyes, on their level. We can and we must – if we don’t slow down to see what they see and help them navigate life, well, we cannot point fingers when they find someone else as their guide. Love them enough to slow down this Christmas and as much as I don’t like resolutions- make it a goal for 2024!

Life Book of the Week: Christmas is Coming!, by Tara Fortner

Just a Christmas story my family loves to watch year around!