One Saturday morning in December of 2002 the Pierpont guys made a trip to Lansing from Flint, were we lived at the time. We stopped for coffee, visited a unique guitar shop to drool over the Taylor guitars, and drove downtown to look for a Christmas present for my wife, Lois.
Gary Chapman says there are Five Love Languages. Lois is bi-lingual. Her love languages are acts of service and gifts. I want her to always feel real, real loved– especially at Christmas time. I want her to feel secure in my love like a little girl with a warm quilt tucked under her chin.
So we scouted the shops of downtown Lansing, sipped our coffee, and enjoyed the festive Christmas atmosphere. It was snowing that morning just enough to make it beautiful but not so much to make it difficult. We discovered a little gift shop called the Mole Hole. It was a delightful little shop filled with unusual gifts. I found some little mouse figurines. I knew Lois would love them. There were kayaking mice, tennis-playing mice, golfing mice, baking mice, ballet mice, and others.
My favorite mice were a group of mice in a little shed that included wise men mice, shepherd mice, Mary and Joseph mice and even a little mouse in a manger. That year I bought the mouse in the manger and the Mary and Joseph mice had them gift-wrapped in separate boxes.
From Christmas 2002 to Christmas 2005 we made our pilgrimage to Lansing in December to browse the Mole Hole and every time the Lord send a beautiful seasonal snowfall for us to enjoy. Every year we added some mice to our mice manger scene until last year I was able to buy the stable. Now we have wise men, shepherds, angels, Mary, Joseph and the little infant mouse, and we have the memory year after year of time together with the boys, playing guitars, enjoying the season, the snowfall and the local coffee.
Whatever you do to make sure the people you love know that you love them is worth the effort. Christmas is a time to love. When you do things at Christmas time you make memories and if all goes well, big snowflakes will fall while you are making them. Thoughtful acts of love are like a glue that holds our families together when so many things are trying to pull them apart.
Ken Pierpont
Brook Place
Hinsdale, Illinois
December 5, 2006
You are so nice to me dear, I can’t wait to see which one I get this year ; )
Your wife
Come to think of it, just being your wife is gift enough for me. I love you.
awh, this is too much.
good stuff Dad. i’d love to be able to make that trip this year. get that cup of goodness from beaners from the same hispanic guy. if i could i’d buy something from there for my wife.
very very good thoughts. thanks.