Janie had a dilemma. Recently she learned about Grandparents’ Day at school and wanted to give her Grandma and Grandpa the best gift ever. Unfortunately, that was the problem. She couldn’t think of anything.
Doing things for her mom and dad were easy. When it was Mother’s Day last May, her teacher had the class make Mother’s Day cards out of construction paper and necklaces out of macaroni. When it was Father’s Day in June, she and her mother cooked her daddy’s favorite dinner for him.
Janie had no idea what to do for Grandparents’ Day, but she knew it had to be good. This was going to be the first time she had ever given her grandparents a gift for their special day, so it had to be perfect.
Janie decided there was only one thing to do: ask her mom for help. She walked into the kitchen where her mom was busy making dinner.
“Mommy, what can I get for Grandma and Grandpa for Grandparents’ Day?” she asked.
“Grandparents' Day? When is it?” her mom replied as she chopped carrots into little circles.
“September 7,” she told her mom. “I want to get them the best Grandparents’ Day gift ever, but I don’t know what the best gift is.”
“Well, I’m sure they’ll love anything you give them,” her mom answered.
Parents are always saying that type of stuff, but Janie knew better. She loved her parents, but she didn’t love everything they gave her. Last year for her birthday she received a pair of fuzzy purple socks with a weird looking animal on the sides that looked like a donkey with an elephant’s trunk. She told her parents she loved all of her gifts, but she didn’t really like the socks. She just didn’t want to hurt her parents’ feelings.
She didn’t want her grandparents doing the same thing. She didn’t want them to just tell her they liked her gift so her feelings wouldn’t get hurt. She wanted them to love it almost as much as they loved her.
“Why don’t you just make them something, honey,” her mom said, bringing Janie out of her daydream.
It was a perfect idea. She would make them the best Grandparents’ Day gift ever.
“Thanks, Mom,” she said and ran off to her room.
Janie slumped in the chair at her desk. She decided to draw them a picture. She grabbed a piece of blank white paper and her 64 colors of crayons. Janie drew her grandparents holding hands with her as they walked through the park. Suddenly she stopped.
She draws pictures for them all the time. She needed a better gift. She needed something sensational.
She thought about writing a letter saying she loved them. But she told them she loved them all the time, so that wouldn’t be fantastic.
Then she had a brilliant idea. She could make them a sculpture out of clay. She went to the shelf where she kept the clay and took down a few bags. She began molding a heart out of the red clay. She thought that turned out pretty good. The she went to work molding figures of her grandparents, but she couldn’t make them just right. She decided to put the clay back.
“I’m trying with all my might,” she said aloud to herself, “but nothing is right.”
Janie giggled. She thought it was funny that her words rhymed. That was it. She could write a poem for her grandparents.
She spent the rest of the time before dinner and a little more time the next day working on her poem. When she was finished, she knew she had the perfect gift.
On September 7th, her parents invited her grandparents over for Sunday dinner. Before they ate, Janie told them that she had a Grandparents’ Day gift for them. She cleared her throat and began.
A Poem for my Grandparents
My Grandma bakes the best cupcakes
My Grandpa helps me correct mistakes
My Grandma lets me help her cook
My Grandpa often reads me books
My Grandma hugs me very tight
My Grandpa also hugs me right
There are many special things you do
Grandma, Grandpa, I love you!
Everyone thought Janie’s poem was perfect. Her grandparents both took turns hugging her and telling her that her poem was wonderful. Janie did it. She had created the perfect Grandparents’ Day gift. Suddenly a thought dawned on her.
“Oh no!” she said.
“What is it, honey?” her mom asked.
“Now that I made the perfect Grandparents’ Day gift,” she said, “what am I going to do for Grandparents’ Day next year?”
Everyone laughed, even Janie.
~The End~
Illustration Copyright © 2008 Stephen Macquignon
Copyright © 2008 by B.A. Sans