Robin's Picture

When custody changed for my grandchildren and they were sent from here to live in Muncie, Robin's personal school supplies and belongings, etc., from Van Buren Elementary, were brought to me by her former Brownie Scout leader. Among the the items was a drawing done in art class--an under-sea picture of various fishes on a water color/resistance wash background. There was a shark, a sea horse, a clown fish, a dolphin...and something else...remarkably well done. At the bottom was a treasure chest and a key, such as you might find in an aquarium. I was struck with the artistic skill of a barely-7-year-old that I thought I might try to find a frame for it before it got any more wrinkled or had the edges torn up.

During this Christmas shopping season, I looked in several department stores, but there were no frames that would work. The picture was done on a 12" by 18" piece of paper. I could find NOTHING with a 12 x 18 opening, and Robin had made such good use of the whole paper that there was nothing I could trim to make it work in other sizes without jeopardizing the integrity of her picture. Professional framing would work but would be $70 or more. My idea was well-intentioned, but it didn't look like it was going to happen...at least not for this Christmas.

A couple of weeks ago, I had reason to go to Jo Ann Fabrics to get a fabric remnant for a little project. If I had just gotten the material and left, it would have cost me all of $1.50...but I decided to take a jaunt through their picture frames. Up and down the aisles. Will this size work? No... What about buying a picture in a frame and chucking the picture? Hmmm....still nothing. Up and down the aisles some more. Gave up and went to another area of the store to look for something...then back to the picture frames. Nothing...nothing...NOTHING would work. On my last traipse down a frame aisle, I spied a BIG matted picture frame with a 12 x 18 opening. Wow! Success! But price tag = $45. Whoa! That's a bit much for a piece of 2nd grade artwork. You know the rest of the story...right? Of course, I bought the frame!

I thought I was nuts. Didn't know if Robin would have a place for the picture in Muncie. Didn't know if she'd even care much, since it wouldn't exactly be a gift to play with. As she opened it on Christmas Eve morning, she seemed to like it...but I couldn't really tell. When it got close to time for family to arrive for our early Christmas Even dinner, Robin asked when they would get here. I said, "Any time now." She posed herself on the edge of the couch with the picture on her lap, facing outward, waiting for people so it would be the first thing they saw when they came in the door. She stayed that way for at least ten minutes before her daddy and stepmother and step-grandmother came. Then, as the next wave of people showed up, Robin did the same thing--sat on the couch with the picture on her lap. By the time her other grandparents got here, there was no longer any room on the couch, but she immediately pointed the picture out to Grandma Judy, (then took Judy to the back bedroom to show her the poster of Robin and Ryan running in the surf in Florida, given to us by a close family friend). My guess is that she was very proud of her picture!

When I give things to the grandchildren, I am always careful to tell them that the things are theirs to do with as they wish: leave here for their next visit, or take home. I never know what their reasoning will be, but I want them to know that they have the choice. I asked Robin if she had decided what she wanted to do with the picture. She said, "Take it." After they left for Grandma Judy's, I noticed that the picture had been left behind. Did that mean she had a change of heart? They could not have been at Judy's house--a mere mile from here--for more than two minutes when my phone rang. It was Kendra asking if I'd bring the picture when I came over. Robin must have noticed that it had been left behind!

I know from experience that pictures, cross-stitch projects, etc., always look so much better when they are properly framed. I don't know if Robin's happiness with the picture was because it was HER picture, or because **I** liked it so much...or if it just looked good to her in the frame. I only know that it didn't hurt her self-esteem at all to see her artwork in a formal matted frame. A forty-five dollar investment in a little girl's pride was money well spent!