Most of us have seen the old classic Frank Capra movie, "It's a Wonderful Life".
If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Find it , and watch it with your family. The message from the movie is that life is a wonderful gift, and even when times are tough, there is still so much to be thankful for.
The hero, George Bailey, finds himself in trouble, and has to experience what life would have been like, if he had never been born.
So often I think of The Toymaker, and how many lives he has touched in his 60+ years. How many buildings he has built, how many toys he has made, how much love he has shared through the work of his hands. I think of how much we all would have missed, without the Toymaker. I would have missed my whole life.
Twenty five years ago, we started Elves and Angels, to support our family of then, eight children. Since then, every year, thousands of children have received one of our toys as gifts, that delight them for years, and then get put away for another child to love years later.
The Toymaker's Heart has touched the lives of children, all over the world.
I enjoy writing poetry, and recently, David said, "When are you going to write about The Toymaker?"
That day, I wrote,
"The Toymaker's Heart".
I'd like to share it with you, in honor of my dear husband, who gives incessantly of his time, and his life, to make the world a better place for all of us, especially the children.
Before the rooster crows,
He moves about in the darkness
To put on his workday clothes.
He heads to his shop before daybreak,When darkness envelops the scene,
Thinking, and planning, and working, While the other Elves slumber and dream.
The Toymaker moves with a purpose,
His thinking and actions are clear.
To create, out of wood, something lovely,
For the little ones, you hold dear.
He works with a will that inspires,
Always, he's doing his best.
Giving the same, as he tires,
Never a moment for rest. The Toymaker rises at daybreak,
He rouses the rising sun,
And in each toy, he imparts to you,
The love of a job well done!
A lifetime of labor he's giving,
A lifetime of beauty and joy,
Sharing his heart through his living,
With each little girl and boy.
You think it's a kitchen or dollhouse,
A castle, or some wooden part,But look through the form at the essence,
And you'll see The Toymaker's Heart.
The Toymaker lives for his Father,
A servant, a most cherished Son,
He's giving his all just to hear it:"My dear, my Beloved, well done."
When The Toymaker lies on the hillside,
His troubles and labors all gone,
The Love , The Truth, and the Caring,
In his beautiful Toys, lives on.
And Oh, the joy that's delighting, Oh, the Love undefiled,
And Oh, what a gift, when The Toymaker's Heart,
Touches the heart of a child.
written by
Susan Smalley for,
David Smalley, The Toymaker.
This is dad...through and through...
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