The Stockings Were Hung…

pat frederick Personal November 1, 2023November 1, 2023 3 Minutes

Last year, about 2 weeks before Christmas, my son called and opened the conversation with, “If you need a gift for Kerri (my daughter-in-law), I have an idea.” I informed him that I usually have my shopping done at the end of September, October at the latest, but I was still interested in his idea. He told me that they had started decorating their home for Christmas and me, being the kind, loving mother that I am, said “WHAT???? 2 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS?”

BACKGROUND: In all fairness, there needs to be a little background presented here. My son was married the year before in October and they had also just bought their first home so there were other priorities THAT year. I get it. But this year? I wondered what the delay was. And being a caring, loving, mother, I asked. My son is affectionately known in our family as Clark Griswold. He is the king of lighting displays.

So, they were focused on getting the lights up just right both inside and out. It seems all that was left, was getting their stockings and where exactly would be the perfect place to hang them. He found his stocking in a box of things we had stored for him till they moved into their new home.

It seems that they had never seen what each other’s stockings looked like. His was a cross stitched one I made for him when he was 8 or 9—a Santa making toys. Hers was a basic plain red one that barely showed her name anymore. My son said she looked so sadly at hers compared to his that he just thought I should make one for her. I told him I definitely would make her one, but it would take me significantly longer than 2 weeks to do.

I told him to pick a theme he thought she would like and I would get it and make it for her for next Christmas. The theme he chose was snowmen and that meant that the entire stocking—background included—would have to be stitched, since most Aida cloth is white and a white snowman on a white background would be silly. I have been working on it off and on for most of the year. Sometimes the tiny stitching gets to my eyes and I have to put it aside for a while and then other things come up…

But I have finished the stocking finally…and along the way, I devised a (in my mind) perfect plan to give it to her.

MORE BACKGROUND: I made a cross stitched stocking for my daughter as well that same year as I made one for my son, but she had one that her got from her mom (store bought) that she liked at the time, so we never put the one i made out. And I was fine with that. After she got married, she stopped using her mom’s stocking and bought matching stockings for her and my son-in-law. And then when my granddaughter was born, she bought a special one for her, so I never offered to make any for them. And now? I didn’t want anyone to feel slighted, so giving it to her at our family Christmas gathering seemed wrong. So I devised my plan.

My son and daughter-in-law always come to our house for Thanksgiving. After we eat and the kitchen is cleaned up, we retreat to the living room to watch Christmas movies…starting with Die Hard. As soon as Hans Gruber falls off Nakatomi Plaza, my son says…NOW the Christmas season starts! Every year…like clockwork.