LETTER

Christmas gifts . . . no clutter here

 

The first I remember was in 1971. My car, an old Renault 10, broke down with busted engine rings. We could not afford to tow it and have it done in a garage. You know, an immigrant's beginnings. It was a challenge for me, I was not a mechanic, just a sculptor. In short, outside was about -20 C, and Christmas found me under my car.

Danica could not believe it when I put the keys in, and on the second try the car started to prrrr.., and we were able to go to church and enjoy the Christmas spirit.

The second was in 1973 when Danica in October gave birth to our child prematurely, five and a half months into her pregnancy. Against the advice of her doctor, I insisted on keeping him alive. This was our child, though the smallest ever, at that time. He was transferred from the Grace Hospital to the Civic (first to have incubators), and on the 24th of December I was able to bring Danica and Theodore (Latin for Gift of God), against all odds, home.

The third gift was in 1985. The house I was building, mostly alone, was sucking every penny we had, and there were no reserves. The new house still unfinished, with a sculpture hanging from the scaffolding, (I doubled and tripled my work schedule) and with only a tree decorating the season, I had to solve our lack of gifts. I tied two strings to the scaffold, each with bundles of paper money of the smallest denomination, and each with our sons’ names.

The disappointment on their faces was quickly replaced with giggles as they pulled on their strings and  money began falling from the 'sky'!

That same day I received my present -- a letter from Japan, the Hakone Open-air Museum, informing me that my Multiple Sculpture 'Melody' had won the entry to the 1st Rodin Grand Prize Exhibition 1986.

I have read, "Man, help yourself and God will also help you'.  We just have to keep up Hope!

Rasto Hlavina
Pontiac