Best Christmas Ever!

January 07, 2013

I love Christmas. I love the food, the fun, the lights, the fellowship, the time off work, and, of course, presents. I love giving them as much as receiving. As a matter of fact, as I've gotten older, I've discovered I enjoy the giving of gifts even more than receiving them. But I do still love surprises.
 
I've also discovered I appreciate more practical gifts. Whereas a pair of socks was considered the worst present a fellow could receive at the age of 9, I now relish these presents. Another thing, I don't have to buy on my own! I mean, how often do I think about buying socks when I'm out? I never think about it until I'm looking for a matching pair without holes in my sock drawer.

This year I asked for the usual extravagant things, as I do every year, in the hopes that some family member or friend comes into a windfall of money and just can't decide how to spend it, knowing full well I probably wouldn't get them. I then asked for some other, more practical things like clothes, gift cards, and some necessities. I do still love surprises, though.

This year, on Christmas Eve, after dinner was eaten, the dishes done, and the table wiped down, we decided as a family to open one gift each. Now because we are a "blended" family (me, my wife and her two daughters from a previous marriage), we are all together every other Christmas. So now that the girls are teenagers, things are interesting. Each girl opened her one present of the evening - a cell phone! Wow, were they excited. Not to mention the excitement they were feeling for the presents to come the next day! I mean, if this is just Christmas Eve, imagine what the morning will bring! All those big boxes with bows!

My wife opened a fun t-shirt I had gotten for her. She was surprised and thrilled.

Then came time for me to open my one gift. I picked a package that seemed soft yet sturdy. It was smallish, but big enough to be perhaps an article of clothing or perhaps a wall hanging. Perhaps, a leather jacket? It had that feel. I slowly peeled back the paper from the corners that were taped. I peeled and peeled. The first thing I noticed was that this material item was wrapped in thick clear plastic. My heart beat with anticipation...I saw an image on the package, an outdoorsy image that had me getting more anxious by the millisecond to get this package unwrapped. Finally, the paper was off. I read the label on the package. Could it be? For me? Something I've wanted, and yes NEEDED for a year? YES! I got one! A vinyl cover for my grill! No more dragging the grill in and out of the garage! I can keep it on the deck without walking up and down all those stairs wasting precious time and grilling energy. Yay!

I couldn't hide my excitement. I was practically dancing in my seat in the living room. Actually, I think I was tapping my toes a bit. The girls just stared at me. "It's a grill cover," said the 12-year-old with the obligatory eye-roll that comes standard when addressing adults at that age. "Yes, it is! Best Christmas ever!" I replied. I went to bed that night dreaming of how incredible the night before Christmas was...and how great Christmas day was going to be!

Tim P.
Smithville Branch