Following the Clues

My mama took great joy in having fun with her kids. She loved to make up songs and poems for us. She had a Louisiana accent and amused us with expressions like fiddlesticks and punkin and her pronunciation of Chicago (Chicargo).

Holidays were her chance to really get creative. One gift began with a clue. Upon finding that clue, we’d find another that would send us after another clue until we found the gift. The whole family would help search.

My children never met my mama, but her memory, humor, and giftgiving idea live on. One of my greatest joys has been witnessing my sons set up gift hunts for their own kids.

—Cindy Stillings

Topeka, Kansas