When I was a kid, I looked forward to getting new clothes for Christmas. At 5’1 in sixth grade, I was pretty tall for my age, and my clothes, especially my pants, couldn’t keep up.
I didn’t get a lot of clothes, maybe a couple shirts and a new pair of jeans, but it meant the world to a socially conscious girl that didn’t want to be teased about her flood pants.
Almost thirty years later, I was talking to an acquaintance who made a sardonic remark about getting clothes for Christmas, something a kid would have gotten anyway.
“Didn’t you hate it when your parents combined what you needed with Christmas?” she asked.
I was stunned. I had never thought of it that way.
A funny thing happened this year. During my annual deep clean of my home, I realized I needed more shelves, so I decided to give myself a Christmas present by buying what I needed. I went on Amazon and found nice shelving for my books and papers. While searching for that, I saw a nice wooden letter tray that would keep my papers organized, so I bought that. While looking at the tray, I saw a nice cubby organizer for my daughter, whose art and craft supplies and other knickknacks were falling from her bookshelf, so with her approval, I bought that.
My daughter needed ice skating socks, so guess what I got her for Christmas? She complained about her feet being cold, so I got her ice-skating pants that have a boot cut that goes over the skates. For added protection, I bought leg warmers with a zipper for easy removal.
“This is so cute!” she said with excitement when she put everything on.
Best of all, her feet are no longer cold skating.
The leg warmers came with a matching headband to keep her ears warm. Now she doesn’t have to wear a hat with floppy chin straps.
My presents definitely fell into the utility category this year, but my daughter is thrilled.
Hopefully, she won’t resent me years from now if someone remarks, “Don’t you hate it when parents give you things for Christmas they have to buy anyway?”
Speaking of utility, there was one more oddity this year.
I got a present for Christmas two years ago. I had already opened several presents and I didn’t want to open another one. I decided to open it when I felt like I needed a present. I expected that to be during the year, but a year passed and it was Christmas again. I looked at the wrapped gift stowed under my desk but I still didn’t want to open it. The expectation was greater than the anticipated reward. I liked looking at the unopened box.
During that time, I became in need of another flask for hot liquids, which I drink daily during the winter. I don’t always have time to wash the one from the previous day if I’m in a hurry in the morning, but I was too cheap to buy one for myself. Another year passed.
As my daughter and I cleaned this year, now two Christmases later, she told me it was time to open the present. She said it in a matter-of-fact voice that I oddly couldn’t say no to. Reluctantly, I opened the present, expecting to be disappointed. Inside the box was another unmarked box.
Guess what was inside?
A brand new, beautiful turquoise Yeti, so pretty (and probably expensive) that I wouldn’t have justified buying it for myself, but which someone justified buying for me. It was the perfect gift, something I needed for the past two years. All the while, it was sitting under my desk, unopened, waiting.
I was wrong. The reward was greater than the expectation.
What a wonderful story!
Thank you, Susan!