My family was always a crafty bunch. We always made Christmas gift, birthday gifts and just made things for the pure enjoyment. This was something new. When I was six, maybe seven, our regional newspaper held a craft competition. I don’t really remember if I thought about winning or if I was enticed by the prize money. I suspect It was just another project. I loved making things and this was just an excuse to create something new. I made a little weaving and my Mom helped me fill out the application and send it off. I have no recollection of how much later the letter arrived; the letter informing me that my little weaving was the winner. The letter containing the check. This is what I do remember. I vividly remember walking into our little town bank with my Dad. I remember him helping me sign my name on the back and suggesting the teller give my my $25 prize in all singles. I remember how that roll of bills felt in my hand. I remember going into the hardware store, hearing my Dad tell the owner about the prize and the flood of pride when the owner said “Wow, that’s a pretty big bank roll you got there.” I don’t think I realized it at the time, but that pride wasn’t about having a wad of money or even about winning the contest really. I was proud that people saw value in something I had created and the money was just the manifestation of that.
Feeling that one’s creativity has value in the world is a beautiful thing; especially for a child. It was with all of this in mind that I created our first Read To Me contest. We’re looking for someone age 8 or under to design our special edition bookmark. If you know someone who might be interested you can find all the information below. I can’t wait to see what the little ones come up with and I hope that our winners will feel some of the same joy and validation that I did all those years ago.
