The Magic and Beauty of Kites

Every fall I remember the kites – and my grandmother, Momo, made them.

Kites could be purchased, of course. Our experiences with them were confined to a box in the front right hand corner of Hagan’s Market, and they cost 7 cents. They consisted of two pieces of balsa wood around which was wrapped kite-shaped pieces of paper, some assembly required. Inevitably we bought one each fall, pooling our pennies and fighting over which wrapped package would unroll to the most spectacular graphics. Neither the string nor the tail was provided, but that was okay. We had Momo’s “Rag Box” and we kept our string from fall to fall, never wasting an inch of it.

Inevitably these kites ended up impaled on tree branches, insolent in their disdain for our efforts. After we conceded defeat, we went to Momo, because  Momo could do anything – even make a kite that could fly.

She kept wrapping paper on hand for this, and when we went to ask her for help she took us out to one of the fruit trees in our back yard to cut some sticks. The plum trees were the best, she said – just the right weight, thickness, and “bendability.”

While she worked on the kite, we gathered our horde of string, tying ends together for the flight into outer space that we always hoped for. We tied rags for the tail, and by the time we had that done she was ready. Festooned with “Happy Birthday” or cakes and candles, her kites were beautiful to a small girl, youngest and therefore relegated to mostly watching.

Because of her broken hip Momo couldn’t run, but she didn’t need to. We could run all that was needed. We needed her to direct us – when to run, when to let go, what direction to run to catch the wind – and when we listened our kites soared. Success! Nothing equaled it for satisfaction in a job well done.

For our son’s birthday last year we bought him an elaborate kite, shaped like a butterfly and “Guaranteed to Fly.” I don’t think he’s flown it yet.

I wish I had one of Momo’s kite leftovers, or her recipe for making them. I’d show my granddaughters the most fun they've ever had!