I am at home now making my traditional Christmas Eve Onion Soup and making the deviled eggs for Christmas morning. I started thinking about a question I saw on Twitter about what would be a great gift for Christmas. Right away I thought of what I have said to customers that have come in with great ideas of gifts to give or special items that are important memories in their life. “I don’t care how bizarre the request might seem, I love framing things that have special meaning to the customer or to whoever they will be giving it to.”
We have framed a violin which was being given to a son whose grandfather played that violin. The other day I framed a box cover from a Dove Bar box because it had special significance to this customers daughter. It recalled a special shared moment with his daughter.
There are numerous invitations, medals and awards for young and old that we have framed but I think that one of the most special things that we have done for a customer was taking all the patches collected by a Katrina Volunteer from other volunteer units and some of his photographs of the destruction caused by hurricane Katrina. It was such a tribute to the extensive efforts of thousands of volunteers who went to the Mississippi, New Orleans area from all over the country with only a goal of helping others in need. The unselfishness and genuine caring of strangers helping strangers was absolutely mind boggling. I felt honored to just be putting these items into the frame.
We have done some paintings by very famous people and we have done things that have gone to Washington. But of all the things I have framed over the past 25 years, I must say that this one gave me the most satisfaction.
Merry Christmas to all and let’s hope that 2009 brings out the goodness that is inherent within all of us instead of the greed and avarice and selfishness that we have seen over the past decade. Its there, we just have to help each other bring it the top.
Nancy