Precious Things Come In Little Packages

When I was little, I was petite. I was always on the front row in Artondale Elementary School pictures. It made me feel conspicuous and different. I was also painfully shy. Thanks to my mom though, she spun it for me. She was good at that. She could play the Polyanna very well. She would tell me, “Precious things come in little packages.” Later, when I was teased at the school bus stop for having a long nose, she spun it again, “Lauri, just look at these Roman sculptures,” she’d show me a page in the encyclopedia, “they have the same nose as you.” There was always a little nugget of gold in her encouragement. Recently, I found one of her nuggets, written on a small square piece of paper from our next to last Thanksgiving together before her death.

That Thanksgiving, I bought tiny little boxes for each of the family members to use as placecards at the Thanksgiving table. Before Thanksgiving, each person was given small squares of paper. Their assignment was to write a word of encouragement for each person around the table and put it inside the boxes before the Thanksgiving meal. Out of all the years of pre-Thanksgiving crafts and games I had prepared for my family, this activity held the biggest blessing. What a delight to read each person’s words of encouragements inside our little boxes. I have treasured that little box and the notes my family wrote to me. I hope they have saved them as well and have found comfort and encouragement when reread.  

Thank you, mom, for your kind and timely words to your shy, petite little girl with a long nose, and to a middle-aged woman who still occasionally needs to hear encouraging words from her mother.

Consider this activity with your family this Thanksgiving, you won’t regret it.