New Box of Crayons

Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of extra money.  The only thing I always wanted most whenever we went shopping was a 64 count of crayons.  Usually, when I begged for new crayons, I ended up with a 24 pack.  Sometimes, especially at Christmas, I would get a 48 pack.  But, that wasn’t a 64 pack.

The possibilities are endless with a 64 count of crayons.  Look at them.  There’s different shades of every color, a nice variety of skin tones, even gold and silver.  Everyone knows you can’t color as well with a 48 pack.

When you open the box, they are perfect.  They are perfectly sharp, perfectly packaged.  And, the smell.  There is nothing like the smell of new crayons.  That waxy smell.  You can almost smell the colors.  You can smell the possibilities.

Back when I was younger, it seemed like a 64 count of crayons was so expensive.  But, these days, you can pick a pack up for about $3.  I don’t share this to make any one feel sorry for me… least of all Nana.  They did what they could with the money we had.  I had a great childhood and was able to experience all sorts of things and go many places.

But, as a child, there is nothing as important as that huge box of crayons.

Now that I have kids, I promised myself that I would always buy them 64 counts of crayons.  I’m sure there is some crazy, warped neurons in my brain that makes me do it.  But, that’s the way it is.

We get home and open them and the first thing I do is close my eyes and take a deep breath and hold them up to my nose so I can smell them.  I open my eyes and admire the perfect crayons, the perfect, unused points, and beautiful lines they make in the box.  The smell takes me back 30 years to when life was easy and my entire life was ahead of me.

Then, I hand them over to the twins.

Within minutes, the crayons are worn on the tips, the box is usually torn a little, and at least one is broken.

But, that’s okay.  For a moment, I was able to be a child again.

And, if I am living vicariously through my children…. that’s okay too.

Because, there are so many possibilities with 64 crayons.