The happy family. Top row: Me, Luke, Matt. Bottom Row: Grandma, Dad, Mom, Anna
One of the most remarkable characteristics of my parents is that they are basically perfect. Not what a young child or teenager would describe as perfect parents, mind you, but perfect in a moral sense. The last recorded incident of either of them sinning was some fifteen years ago when Dad got mad about us kids complaining too much and proceeded to punch a hole in the wall. We hung a framed diagram of the family tree over the hole and it’s pretty much been smooth sailing ever since.
I mention this business of perfection with the caveat that I don’t count the quality of the gifts given to one’s children at Christmas as a moral issue. Although my parents are supremely generous with love, this generosity has never extended itself into the exchange of material goods on Christmas morning. Growing up, they explained it to us this way: We could expect to receive better presents on our birthdays and lesser presents at Christmas because Christmas was in fact Jesus’ birthday, not ours. Whether this was a matter of religious fervor or plain old frugality remains a subject of speculation among us children, but suffice to say that our stack of presents has never been in danger of scratches from the pine needles on the lower limbs of the tree.
This year, however, our family took tackiness to a whole new level when Luke, Matt, and me reached into our stockings and each discovered total contents equaling exactly three pieces of foil covered, bite sized candy.
Those who know my family well, or who have read an advance copy of my book, will be aware that growing up in my family, we were only allowed to consume one piece of candy per week. So it could be argued that my parents were actually loading us up with a full three week supply of candy, a generous allotment by any measure. But what’s significant here is not the quantity of items we found when we reached in our stockings, but what happened next.
“Hey,” said Luke. “Isn’t that the candy Katie’s family gave us a few weeks ago?”
“Yes, it is,” said Dad. “And we are being totally up front about that.”
“How are you being up front?” asked Luke. “You didn’t say anything until I recognized it.”
Dad nodded thoughtfully as he considered this new information. It was unclear if Dad and Mom had expected us not to notice the re-gifting or whether it simply had not occurred to them that we might have a problem with their divvying up and presenting us with a gift that had already been offered to our family as a whole.
A few minutes later, Dad said that he had a present to give the family, clarifying that this one was from him personally, not from Mom and him by way of Katie’s family. He proceeded to set an unwrapped, clear plastic container of dried mango on the coffee table and confess that he had already opened it in order to sample a few pieces. “Just wanted to try it,” he explained.
Matt rolled his eyes at me, presumably wondering if our gift exchange could possibly become any sillier.
Eleven-year-old Anna was at that moment pulling tissue paper out of the top of a tall gift bag.
“Who’s this from?” she asked.
“That’s from your Mom and I!” Dad said.
“Actually,” Luke said. “That’s from me.”
“Oh, sorry…I was confused,” Dad said.
We all looked at each other and started laughing, which, as it turns out, is the most generous gift a family can give each other, any day of the year.
5 Responses to “‘Tis the season of re-gifting”
December 29, 2009
1:51 pm
That’s funny stuff, right there:-)
Regifting is really popular at my grandma’s Christmases–and I’ve always been curious if “Christmases” really is a word. This year, my cousins and I ended up getting Grandma pink boots that she got all of us a year before. When I say my cousins and I, I’m not trying to confuse you in thinking that we worked together….We didn’t. To put it simply: Grandma will never not have a pair of pink boots (unless she throws all five–yes five–pairs away) lol
The pictures….you guys are so cute! I always wished I had lots of siblings.
And of course my dad was the only one of five–yes five, again–brothers that had less than three kids. It’s kind of like I’m an only child…that’s too long of a story. haha:-)
So, that’s where my really-long-comment-of-the-day ends.
~Hailey~
December 29, 2009
2:41 pm
haha ok..so i basically did the same thing for presents for my family. I was in church like 2 weeks before Chistmas and my Pastor said ” its not about wanting to get something, its about appreciating what you have”. That right there gave me and idea for what im going to give to my family as presents. I let my mom in on it so she could help me of course. My idea was to go into my families bedrooms and take things that they had forgot about. I then wrapped them and put them under the tree. My parents had said that this year they couldnt buy any presents for us because we have absolutley no money. But what i did, made it look like we had a big Christmas. For my dad, i took a brand new shirt and tie that my grandmother had gotten him a few years ago. It was still in its package with the tags on and everything. He had no idea that he already owned it. My sisters caught on though. and they thought it was really funny. (Im the one in my house who is always doing pranks and things to make people laugh. ) I did get them real presents though so they wouldnt call me cheap. Everyone had a laugh and it was a really good Christmas. My older sister made me jewlery and flowers to put in my hair, and my little sister gave me a movie that i love. Thats pretty much how Christmas ’09 went
December 29, 2009
3:20 pm
That’s a great story, Audrey.
December 30, 2009
7:10 pm
I totally agree. Strangely enough, on one side of my family we also decided to regift. lol we always pick names, and i got my cuz jackie’s name. she is the ultimate tomboy, like she plays rugby and dresses like a hippy. I love her independance.its fantastic. So anyway, For her, i took one of my old barbies that reminded me of her , found some clothes that looked like something she would wear (plaid bellbottom pants, a flowery sleeved shirt, and Lime green sneakers.), and stuck a note to it. I made it an “Official Jackie Action Figure” it was awesome. She loved it. And for my grandma, I painted a picture of an old house, on an old family homestead. I must say, that i don’t think i’m too bad of an artist, but i rele didn’t like this picture. Idk wat it was, i just didn’t like it, but i gave it to her anyway. SHE LOVED IT! i was glad. I hardly spent anything on that side of the family! yay me! lol Merry UnChristmas! and Happy Soon-to-be New Year! lol
December 30, 2009
9:50 pm
Hahaha my little sister is two years younger than me and a few weeks before Christmas we went…Christmas shopping together haha I’m a big fan of Hot Topic so I couldn’t be in the mall without at least looking around. I went in and saw this awesome scarf (I love those bandana scarf things they sell there…I have like a billion different ones) I pick it up and see that it’s only two dollars. With a deal that I could practically afford in pennies how could I not jump at the chance? So I took it and said “This is cool, I’m gonna get it” My little sister looked at the price and snatched it out of my hand “NO! …It’s only two dollars?…I’m getting it for you for Christmas…” I’m like “wow cool what a surprise I’m totally gonna have no idea what I’m opening Xmas morning.” after my sis bought it she walked out of the store with her chin up all snobby “HA. I got YOUR present down. And I only had to pay two dollars for it…HA!” ……and with that I walked into the drugstore with her and got HER Christmas present…a pack of gum XD lol