I am crocheting a baby blanket--just like I did for the birth of each of my grandchildren and as a birth present for the children of other people who are special in my life. This time, though, the blanket is much smaller. It is for a granddaughter's doll. It is not so small that it's for a Barbie, but it is big enough for her American girl doll.
This is not an expensive proposition. I am using yarn leftover from the presents for real babies, and yet time and effort go into this thing. My granddaughter, living in Berlin for a year, checks out the progress every time we Skype. She helped pick out the colors from the assorted leftover balls of yarn and now I hold it up to the Web cam to show her how long it is getting and how I am putting striples into the design. She is quite excited about it and has already told me "it is big enough for Felicty"--Felicity being the American girl doll she has. In a few weeks, when I bring it with me on a visit to Berlin, I'll bring a crochtet hook that 8-year-old fingers can use and teach her how to crochet.
While I sit and work on it--squeezing time in between work and making dinner and going to yoga classes-- a piece of me says, 'It's crazy to hand-make a mini blanket for a doll. What a waste of time.' And then I remind myself, this is what grandparenting is all about. This is what no greater love means: giving something of and from yourself to a precious child.
This posting is one of several featured in About.Com's blog on parenting. You can read these takes on showing love to your children or grandchildren here.
