The Ultimate Puzzle Box

Every year, my sisters and I anxiously awaited opening our special puzzle boxes.  Granddad would spend months designing and creating them, revealing his masterpieces to us on Christmas morning.  Throughout the year, he bounced ideas off of Grandmom, his greatest cheerleader and tester.  Carefully, he handmade and assembled each box.  Elm, oak, and cedar, selected from trees on their property, composed each box.  Magnetic apparatuses and trick openings fooled even us seasoned puzzle solvers.

Granddad always seemed to one-up himself year after year.  On December 25th, my sisters and I would compete to see which one of us could get to the hidden enclosed money prize the fastest... winning bragging rights for the rest of the year.  After we started dating, Tony also joined in on the game.  Granddad would get such a kick out of our excitement and struggles with his unique inventions.

Granddad passed away earlier this year.  It saddens me to know there will not be anymore puzzle boxes to add to my collection... that this chapter in my life has come to an end.  The holidays will be a bit less cheery.  This will be the first year he won't be at the Christmas table.  I will miss our competitions, and marveling at Granddad's newest designs.

Last month, Tony and I received a special gift from my grandparents' estate: a set of unique lounge chairs.  They were quite possibly Granddad's favorite possessions.  My mom recounts that Granddad saved up to buy 4 of these Eames Lounge Chairs in the 1950's.  For many years, they were the only furniture filling my grandparents' living room.  Fitting to Granddad, their design was one-of-a-kind: the perfect marriage of comfort and ingenuity. As a kid, I appreciated their unparalleled smooth turning capability as I spun around in them for hours.  And as an adult, I cherish them as a reminder of my special grandparents.

It was quite a process, moving these 80-pound chairs from NY to TX.  Each had to be disassembled, packed into large boxes, shipped across country (thanks, Mom and Dad!!), and later reassembled. Tony and I spent a weekend putting them together.  As we aligned shock mounts, heavy glides, and back stand-offs to wooden and metal frames, we discussed memories of my grandparents.  Tony and I recalled many college weekends, traveling to Binghamton to share good food and conversation with Grandmom and Granddad in these chairs.  We remembered Christmases.

After many hours, with the rust-red leather cleaned and the aged wood oiled, we finally sat down in our comfy new additions.

And, Tony remarked: It would only be fitting that your Granddad's final gift to us would be the ultimate puzzle box.

Grandparents

As a kid, whenever my parents made me do something I didn’t want to, I would make promises to my future children. As a 7 year old, I swore that candy would always be kept on the bottom shelf, not the top.  Bed times and naps would be outlawed.  Cartoons would be left indefinitely on repeat.  And, clothes would never be an acceptable birthday present.  Later, as a teen, I promised I wouldn’t incessantly nag my someday children about cleaning their rooms making their beds.  No yard work would be required on the weekends.  Friends would be able to come over any time of day, and I wouldn’t make my kids ask permission to drive, let alone share, the car.

Then, I became a mom...  

...and all the things my parents did throughout my childhood made a little more sense.  But, even more frightening: I found myself starting to do those things my kid-self swore would never happen… Somehow, I don’t expect that to change anytime soon. 

It is a beautiful process watching your parents become grandparents.  

It’s like a snapshot back in time, remembering the gentle hugs and sing-song voices from childhood.  

And, as a new parent, it softens the learning curve as you discover the tricks of the trade from the experts.  

You start to hash out your own parenting style, taking bits and pieces from those whom raised you.

Over the past few months, I have watched as Tony and my parents have poured their love onto their new grandson.  While awaiting the arrival of my sister, Kit, whom will be coming to live with us in August, the grandparents have been taking time to visit and help with Leon. 

It has been fun sharing our home and San Antonio with each, celebrating our growing family.  I realize how much I have missed all of them over the last year since leaving NY.

I look forward to what the future holds, as I see each of them a special part of this new phase in our lives.  Each has a slightly different style to grandparenting…

… but it is clear that they all will have much to give to this growing boy throughout his lifetime.