Creation

Once upon a time gifts were mostly homemade. Men whittled toys for young children, combs for their wives, or made the cradles that would rock their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Women knit new mittens and hats, made dolls and baked special treats for those they loved.  Each gift was lovingly hand crafted because there was no other choice. Baby clothes were passed from generation to generation, too precious to toss out when they had been hand stitched or crocheted or knitted.

It wasn't sentimentality as much as necessity.

I can't imagine having to make all my children's socks, clothes, or toys.  There wasn't time.  Yet, back in "the day" there must have been less time.   I made the bread for our family, but after a few years I had a bread machine I used.  I cooked from scratch, but my husband did not have to raise and butcher our meat and I could buy those noodles if I wanted to. My sister had a big garden.  I bought our produce.

I did knit the occasional scarf and I did make many of their clothes while they were younger because I couldn't find the kind I wanted, but I had a sewing machine.  I even made stuffed animals and playhouses that hung over card tables.  I made dolls, but they weren't the only dolls.  I made teacher's gifts of quilted houses that fit over tissue boxes or held scissors.  I macrame ed plant holders and wall hangings and crafted dream catchers and drums.  What had once been necessity became a luxury -- my hobbies.

I don't know how to engineer video games, or produce electronic toys, but I am finding there are some modern types of "crafts" that I can still get my fingers into and that is what I love about Christmas.  It is a time of year when I can indulge my need for creation.