the best gifts...

...come from the heart.

My fondest Christmas memories aren't about receiving a big present.  My

childhood memories include resting directly under the Christmas tree, so I

could look at the reflection of the living room in the shiny ornaments.  Or

the excitement of opening the door and finding a package waiting on the

step.  I remember my mom making cookies, and beautifully wrapping them

to deliver to a neighbor.  Or my dad coming home with a ham that was

given to him by a customer.


I still love those little Christmas moments.  A wonderful bottle of wine,

dropped off by a friend you have not seen in a while.  A pot of chili from a

friend, who knows that you don't have a lot of time to cook homemade

meals during December. 


Today I received quite possibly my most memorable gift ever.  I had just

delivered a big stack of mail to our postal carrier, before he headed off on

his route, when I spied a brown box on our front step.  It had my sister's

new return address on it.  What could she be sending me?


I quickly cut the box open, and inside was a cute red bucket, the card on

top said "a little taste of home".  And do you know what was inside?  An

entire batch of date cookies.  If you read my blog regularly, you will know

that I went on and on about my Grandma's date cookies in a Recipe Box

Wednesday post last week.  I haven't had them in years, and was missing

them.


And now, here they are, lovingly made for me by my dear sister.  I had

tears running down my face as I tenderly bit into the soft dough, the filling

bringing back such fond memories.  They taste even better than I

remember, as they were made with an extra portion of love.  I can just

imagine my sister in her kitchen, at the end of a long work day, spending

hours rolling out the door, filling them, baking them, and packaging them

up for me.  And smiling as she thought of me sobbing when I opened the

box.  Because I am thinking of her, and wishing I could be home for the

holidays.


Yes, the best gifts do come tied with heartstrings.