Picking the Perfect Present

Christmas Lights, a whiff of fresh pine, captivating .... heart stirring music with whimsical memories of Christmas's gone by .... special gatherings with my family and friends .... a floral door wreath ... once-a-year delectible goodies that delight the senses and stir up more memories; these are a few of my favorite Christmas things.

Buying presents - not so much! Coming up with Christmas gift ideas can be difficult.  I always want to buy the perfect gift for each person. It's hard to know what is perfect for some people. I usually strive for unique, one-of-a-kind gifts ... and I almost always find it after hours of shopping and analyzing. This process usually weighs me down at the start of the season. The choices and decisions can be cumbersome at best.

I have found that shopping at little known and one-of-a-kind shops online give me inspiration and lightens the load tremendously. Some little known shops are filled with surprises and choices I would never think of on my own. It is really quite fun to discover new treasures online.

For those closest to me the shopping get's easier. I don't even have to worry or think about ... what the perfect gift is .... for some in my family.

Slippers has always been THE perfect gift for my mother. She gets a new pair of slippers from me every single Christmas. As she picks up my present, I glance at her feet and notice the well worn shabby duo ... she notices my glance and quickly, yet nonchalantly, pulls them under herself in an effort to conceal.  Oftentimes a big toe can be seen obtrusively peeking out of one of the holes.

Mom smiles with excitement when she picks up my package .. as though she had NO CLUE. As she unwraps my present I can almost see her thoughts .. wonder what style she chose for me this Christmas. She has always been so delighted when she see's those specially chosen pair .. she quickly kicks off the old ones and places the beautiful new and comfy duo upon her little feet. You have to know that she'd be disappointed if I got her anything else ... my sweet mother is so cute!

Then there's my Dad. He has always slapped tons of cologne over his face and chest, as part of his morning ritual. I tell you, you can smell him coming! No one could ever be mistaken about his obsessive love affair with cologne. We’ve all tried to theorize why he does this. My sister thinks it makes him feel young and virile. I think his nostrils don’t work so well and my mom, well she just gets irritated when Dad doesn’t believe her when she says he reeks. The easy part of picking out cologne for my Dad is that he enjoys a variety of scents. So, once a year I head for the men’s counter and smell oodles of fragrances to decide which smell I'd like to overdose on when I visit Dad.

After my shopping is complete and the presents are wrapped with my favorite papers and pretty bows and ribbons I feel very content... happy and complete. I really do love to give gifts and although the hunt can be laborious, it is definitely worth it all when I see the grins, the little twinkling eyes and hear words of appreciation.  Yes, it is all worth the time and the frustration to bring a bit of joy to those I cherish and to give a gift that says, "I treasure you and you have a very special place in my heart."

My Mom and Dad no longer walk upon this earth.  The memories of Christmas's together remain very clear in my mind.  I still see the faces and smiles and love.  We never lived close to my parents while they lived .. so Holidays were special times when we all gathered together to share laughter gifts, food and love.

I continue to love Christmas, for me, but the meaning of Christmas changed drastically from those early days.  I have new Christmas Treasures now .. and they are wrapped up in an eternal gift that has more value than anything else here on this earthplace. 

The Video, Mary Did you Know, I share with you here tells the story of the 'True Meaning of Christmas.:  It is one of my FAVORITE songs and it is beautifully performed by the Bill Gaither Trio.  ENJOY!