What’s the best Christmas present you received last year? The year before that? While it’s nice to receive big ticket items like a new TV, shiny pots and pans, or fancy towels, the gifts we remember most in my opinion are given with love and thoughtfulness in mind. I think about how my dad bought my wife, Annie, a plaque that stated, “I Became a Teacher for the Money and Fame.” Now that was a good gift. Or laugh, if you will. Probably cost about $8, but it truly delivered a special moment for the entire family, and as it sits on the mantle year after year, we look at it and smile. Not to mention, it encourages all of us to try and top that gift.
In recent years, some of my friends and I have started a “terrible ornaments” exchange. I mean like really terrible ornaments, perhaps almost tasteless. And the more over the top, the better. Ones that make the ladies in our lives question our sanity and maturity. For example, a couple of years ago, I sent an image of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial dying in a ditch as an ornament to my friend, Will. He LOVED it, and hung it on his tree proudly! His wife, well that’s a different story.
I followed it up with a Terminator 2 ornament. In return he sent me a Gremlins and Tiger King ornament. Annie rolled her eyes. Then I received a creepy baby doll from my pal, Aaron. It was very heavy and cumbersome in size and weighed the whole tree down. It absolutely rules. This year, I have some extra special tricks up my sleeves. Not to give too much away but I feel like Leprechaun from the scary movie franchise needs to be involved.
What gift-giving traditions do you and your family have? How did they start?
Christmas is great because you never really know what to give or what you will receive and let’s be real, giving is the best. My mom took the cake last year when she bought us all fire blankets. I’d be lying if I said we loved them. I mean they do have some utility and now that I have one, I’m glad I do. But when we opened them last year toward the end of our gift-opening session, my dad and brother just shook their heads and laughed. I took a more diplomatic approach and asked where she found them and if they were on sale. In the end, it was a thoughtful gift — fires and all.
If you don’t have any ideas this year, you can always go with a Starbucks gift card, but I encourage you to dig a little deeper and try to find something that will strike a chord. It can be sweet like a picture book or scary like a weird ornament, but do your best to show how much you care in a unique way this season.
May your days be merry.