There is definitely magic in the air on December 25th. Whether or not one celebrates the miracle of Christmas, there is no denying that this day holds something special — a day to bring families and friends together; a day to share good food and cheer; and, most special of all, a day to remember Christmases of years past.
And that is just what occurred last year when I spent Christmas with my children and grandkids. All because of a sock monkey.
Let me explain: While rifling through holiday catalogues last year in search of suitable gifts for my friends and family members, I noticed the resurgence of the once ubiquitous sock monkey. These charming little creatures had first appeared in the early 1900s when several very ingenious and talented women started fashioning Rockford Red Heel work socks into monkey dolls for their children. The fad caught on and in short order children around the country began toting their own sock monkey dolls, each with its own personal touches and characteristics. They were totally charming, soft, cuddly and a favorite of many children — myself included.
And then they disappeared, going the way of Gumby and Pokey, Mr. Bill and Mr. Potato Head. Yet there they were again in my gift catalogues — the appealing little dolls in an assortment of colors and sizes, replicas embroidered onto cuddly lap blankets, and fashioned into scarves, winter hats and slippers. They were, indeed, the perfect gift for two of my friends, gals who I knew would enjoy the whimsy of these items and would be able to recall their own sock monkey dolls from their childhood. I thought I had found something extremely special and unique.
Well, they might have been special, but they certainly were not unique. It wasn't long before I started spotting adults and teens alike wearing all manner of sock monkey paraphernalia. And in seeing this amazing resurgence I recognized that this was a gift my grandchildren would appreciate, as well.
I hadn't realized, however, the profound significance of sharing this little guy with the children. Gearing up for my Christmas Eve overnight stay with my husband and daughter Donna at another of our kids' house, I knew I wanted to appear on Christmas morning in a unique pair of pajamas — it is fun to be the "outrageous" grandmother and I work hard at keeping up that appearance.
Locating sock monkey pajamas and slipper-socks online, I eagerly ordered them for myself and Donna. And then got smaller versions of the socks for each of the grandchildren. It was Donna who took it a step further; she Googled the Rockford Red Heel site and ordered two pairs of socks with instructions for us to make our own sock monkey dolls.
Much to my pleasure, the kids were quite amused when Donna and I appeared in our pajamas and slippers. Even more exciting was their delight at receiving their own pairs of sock monkey foot wear.
The piece de resistance came when Donna produced the sock monkey kits and we proceeded to spend much of the morning making these personable little dolls — complete with the hair color, button eyes and hats of the kid's choices.
And, thus, this charming little fellow, having been reborn, gave to my family's newest generation the same great pleasure he had given to me so many years ago when I was a child.
It is always great fun to revisit my own childhood through a toy that had once brought me such joy. And it is quite amusing to see this affable little fellow sitting atop heads and being wrapped around jackets as he keeps people warm in such a jocular manner.
But mostly, the thrill I get from seeing the rebirth of the sock monkey is in sharing a piece of my childhood with my children and grandchildren. They understand that in their sock monkey items they are experiencing a bit of the young girl Grams was so many years ago. And it brings us just a little closer together.
And that is what holidays are all about — bridging the years and bringing the generations together.
CJ Golden's book, Tao of the Defiant Woman, combines Taoist acceptance with healthy defiance to challenge negativity and achieve inner peace. www.taogirl.com.