With the holidays fast approaching, people are trying to find the perfect gifts to give. Some want to give a sentimental gift, others want to show their humorous side. For many people this will be a chance to show how they feel about someone, and for others the gift they give will stylishly fulfill an obligation. In any case, everyone wants to come up with a gift that will convey just the message they want to send.
Sometimes the memory of a perfect gift outlasts the given item. The thoughtfulness or creativity that was woven into it inspires a happy feeling for years to come. I recently asked a few women around the Chippewa Valley if they had any such gift memories to share. Some had ones that warm the heart, and others had funny memories. Here’s what they said:
Jan – One year when my sister didn’t have much money, I came downstairs Christmas morning, and her sewing machine cabinet was there by the tree. She wanted to give it to me for my gift, as she knew I loved to sew and didn’t have one. I protested, saying it was too much, but she insisted, a little teary-eyed. That was pretty cool.
Barbara – I grew up in a family where money was tight, and my mother made my clothes. One year I begged for a robe I’d seen in the Sears catalog – it was beautiful. To my delight it was under the tree on Christmas morning, my first store-bought item, and I wore it until it was threadbare. After my mother died many years later I was going through her things and found the pattern and some material from that robe. She had secretly sewn it herself – complete with a borrowed Sears tag – so that I would have my dream come true.
Amanda – When I was a senior in high school, my boyfriend of 18 months worked with – and probably begged – my mom to allow him to get me a kitten for a gift. She was a sweet little orange kitty who lasted quite a bit longer in my life than my boyfriend. He went on to date my best friend four months later, and now she’s his wife.
Ann – My sweetest Christmas gifts came from my husband. Three weeks after we met in October 1991, he went to Texas for work and was already thinking of being with me at Christmas. My gifts came from that trip – a stuffed armadillo and a Texas longhorn sweatshirt. And yes, I still have them.
Glenda – One of the best Christmas gifts I ever received arrived under the tree the year my daughter was 11. It was in a huge box, and I couldn’t imagine what a child her age could afford with her small weekly allowance. On Christmas morning she could hardly wait until I opened the big package and then several inside it, each one smaller than the last, each individually wrapped. At last I came to a small ring box, and inside was a gold ring set with a tiny ruby — my birthstone. She had spotted it in the jewelry store window and saved every penny she had to buy it for me. The little girl is now 40, and the ring remains one of my most treasured possessions.
Pat – My Aunt Pepper was known for giving meaningful gifts, but one year she shook things up. She gave me a crazy brown and white purse made of fake fur. Its strap was a chain. I was grateful for the gift that had been chosen and given with love, but I wasn’t about to take it out of its hiding spot in the back of my closet. A year later, I found it again and realized that my hip aunt had been incredibly fashion-forward and given me something that was indeed very cool. It became my favorite purse.
No matter what the gift or who the giver, there are thoughtful and funny gifts that pepper our memories. Maybe it’s a piece of special jewelry or a traditional gift that passes between family members. It could be a child’s hand-made treasure or a gift certificate for romantic dance lessons meant to rekindle a flame. In any case, remembering these gifts recalls the affection we shared and inspires us to keep the tradition alive.
My own memory involved a gift that didn’t cost much but is worth its weight in gold. My brother works in Los Angeles and knows that my favorite Christmas movie is “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Several years ago, a book came through his publicity office about the making of the movie. He called Jimmy Stewart’s publicist and thoughtfully arranged to have it autographed to me. In the movie, the actor’s tender character ultimately realizes how incredibly important each of our tightly interconnected lives is – a lesson worth revisiting at least once each year. In my book he wrote: “To Lesley – I send you all my best wishes and have a merry Christmas, James Stewart.” I wish the same for everyone. Happy Holidays.
