I had to drag a chair into the room, but I was determined to do it. It had been over a decade since I used my daughters craft box from middle school. I was on a mission and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me. There I was on my tippy toes, on a chair, reaching well passed my finger tips to grab the plastic container full of riches. Finally I had enough oomph to pull it down and place it on the floor. My eyes got a little glassy as I wiped the dust off the top with my shirt sleeve.  I opened the lid and the memories triggered tears. Happy tears at that. This box was one of the staples in raising my daughter. She is still wonderfully creative and a joyful learner as an adult. But today my mission has been inspired from a much different source, the pandemic.

Realizing that Christmas with my family will be mostly celebrated via ZOOM, I felt empty. When we were children, my siblings and I would use construction paper and Elmer’s glue to make paper chains that would go around the family Christmas tree. The chain was looped all the way around the tree from top to bottom. Then, the icicles were tossed on the evergreen for the finishing touch.  It was quite the project as it often took up an entire afternoon and most of the evening to put our tree up. Years that we went overboard with our scissors and paper, our mom would hang the extra chains up over the windows and in the door frames. So festive, so simple, so us. Our whole family took part in decorating the tree. When we were finished, mom would shew us to our rooms to get ready for bed. Once our jammies were on we scurried back down the stairs where the Christmas tree was lit and quiet embers in the fireplace were glowing.

The recollection spurred me on.  I was fixed on making each of my siblings, and my daughter and son-in-law, a paper chain of their own. As I started to cut to colorful paper into strips my mind swirled with an outpouring of adoration. Yes, these paper chains were made with love. I made six 8ft chains, and no two were alike. For each of my brothers and sisters I wrote a special note reciting a favorite antidote from our childhood. I was delighted when the project was completed. I carefully folded each paper chain and slipped it into a deep envelope.  I took them to the post office for a personal send off.

I won’t see my family in person this Christmas, but they will each have a sweet paper chain of love that will bring us closer together.

Cathy Graham is the director of Graceful Aging Wellness Center, part of Bethlen Communities, in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and a District 3000–HRFA member. You can reach her at cgraham@bethlen.com.