Best Gift?

[SnoopDog]

Only one of my grandparents survived to see me as a child.

Og

Same here. I only ever get to know my grandmother parental-side.

But sadly our family is not very 'family-friendly'.

For some reason my parents don't really were involved with the rest of the family which I truly regret. So there were no nice grandma-gifts, all I ever just got was money. How stupid is that.

Snoopy

 

[TheEarl]

The best gift I ever received was at Christmas, 1989.

My Grandad died just three days before Christmas that year, and as anyone can imagine, it was a very sad time. I was 17, and the it was the first death in my immediate family that I'd had to deal with.

He hadn't even been ill, so it was very sudden, and he was only 69. I loved him so much. Everytime I saw him, he used to make me laugh and tease me, just like Grandads do.

On Christmas morning we were all a little sombre as we opened our presents. I remember my Mum kept crying (he was her Dad), and my Dad was trying to console us and make the best of Christmas. After we'd opened all the presents, my Dad went upstairs and brought a little cardboard box down. Inside the box was a small present to each of us from My Grandad. My Dad had apparently found them all in his dining room, the day after his death. The wrapping paper, scissors and so on were all still on the table. Each present had a gift tag, written in my Grandad's shakey hand, with our names on.

My Dad handed out these presents, saying he thought it was the right thing to do, we agreed. We were all crying as we opened our gifts. My two brothers had a leather bookmark each, my Mum a really sparkly brooch, and my Dad a bottle opener. My gift from my Grandad was a heart locket, and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It wasn't gold, or any kind of precious metal, just something very inexpenspensive, but it was, and still is, the best present I've ever had. It was upsetting at the time, because I wished I could thank him and give him a kiss, but I kissed the locket instead. I still have it now, and although it is very tarnished, I give it a kiss every Christmas morning.

I also show my girls the locket every Christmas and talk about my Grandad. They never met him, but I think they know him very well.

Oh bugger, how soppy is that? Bloody crying again now.

Lou

<Hugs Lou>

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Colly, Charley, Earl, everyone else, thank you.

I didn't mean to make anyone else cry.

Christmas is such a special time.

Lou

 

[matriarch]

I'm going to be a spoil sport and go off track.

For me, it was the gift of friendship. No material things could ever compare to what one very special lady did for me recently.

 

[matriarch]

My special gift.

I was 11 or 12, can't remember exactly, and I had set my heart on a camera. I have no idea why, just did. In my head I knew there was no way my parents could afford to buy me one, we didn't have much money,dad was working nights and mum was cleaning some woman's house to earn a bit more, and there were 4 children - my elder brother, me and a younger brother and sister.

Come Christmas morning, we all opened our presents, and each one that looked like it could be a camera, I opened with my heart beating and dry mouth. Finally I have one package left, a box. This had to be it.

I opened it slowly, savouring the moment, hoping. My siblings were busy opening their own gifts, not taking a lot of notice. I finally opened it, opened the box, and there inside was a Box Brownie. (for those ofyou too young to know, look it up). I was speechless, so very happy.......slowly I noticed the camera was very familiar. I looked at it, then up at my dad who was watching me, with a strange look on his face......and then I realised. He had given me his camera for Christmas, rather than disappoint me. I knew how much that camera had meant to him, he'd saved a long time to buy it.

I was speechless, and my eyes filled up. I just put my arms around him and hugged him. I just couldn't speak. We never ever spoke of it again, it was something between me and my parents.

I have never forgotten that Christmas morning, ever, and it still chokes me up. I just hope that my sons have at least one memory of a Christmas morning that means as much to them.

Moist-eyed Mat.

(Bah, humbug!)

 

[BlackShanglan]

Beautiful, Mat.

 

[SeaCat]

Thank you all,

Looking at these stories reminds me of what Christmas is all about.

Cat

 

[EmeraldKitten]

Oh Lou and Mat, those were beautiful.
(Now that my make up is gone and mascara is stinging my eyes, lol.)


Has anyone ever given a gift that you thought was inconsequential... yet it ended up being great?

That happened last Christmas with me.
My little (half)sister was 10. I went and bought her quite a few little gifts. Hair things, nail polish, lotions, earrings, etc., etc.
I wrapped everything seperate, then put it all in this little make-up kit thing, then wrapped that.
Finally, putting that in a box, and wrapping it.
(Evil thing to do to a child, I know, LOL.)

Anyhow, she opened the box, found the make up kit, unwrapped it, and sighed in frustration as tiny little wrapped packages went flying out.
But the more she unwrapped, the more she said, "More? Another one? Oh my god, Sissy!"
She was thrilled to death with each thing, that to me had seemed insignificant.

I had felt so bad, that that had been "all" I got her.
But I learned another important lesson that year. It doesn't matter what you unwrap.
"Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." (The Grinch. best line ever.)

 

[doormouse]

OMG what a gorgeous thread!!!!

You're all sharing that little bit more about yourselves... it's beautiful.

Thank you.... godddd I'm soppy lol

It's almost christmas... my fave season.... I'm always soppy this time of year... heyyy!!!!!! This will be my first Christmas with you guys wooohoooooooooo

Keep sharing.... I'm loving this thread!!!!!

 

[sailorm72003]

Cloudy, Lou, Mat, Oggs, everyone-

You guys are mean, making a Sailor get all teary!

The best gift I ever got was a book, given to me by my maternal grandmother. I was 11, and loved to read then as well, which she knew very well.

She gave me a first edition of Captains Couragous, by Kipling; but, unlike the pristine and "museum" style, this one was old, and tattered and worn with much reading and re-reading, as it had been passed down through my maternal grandfather's family for many, many years.

What made it so special, is that he'd had it as a boy, and loved it so although I barely knew him, I had a special part of his life and heart and treasure.

I still have that book, I keep it on a shelf behind glass; and it's still the only copy I'll look at, if I feel the need to re-reaquaint myself with Harvey, Disco and Dan

Dang, now I can't see the monitor, it got all blurry.

This is a great thread SeaCat

S

 

[curious2c]

My first Christmas gift from my grandad. (Moms dad) 1957, I was three months old...but I have to this day that two dollar bill, printed in September (My birth month) 1957. His handwriting, shaking and hardly legible still plainly visible.

The last Christmas gift from my Grandfather...(Dads dad)

He had been a blacksmith...Christmas morning I found a string tied to a branch on the tree at the ranch. I followed it clear up to the old grainery. (Oldest building on the ranch) and inside it led right up to his blacksmithing tools, including the forge, anvil and hand drill press. ALL of his tools.

And a letter... in it he explained how I had been the only one of his grandkids interested in smithing. The only one to have the 'knack' as he put it. The only one to deserve what his grandfather had given him years ago and what he had added to over the years.


Also, he had ended up with my moms grandfathers smithing tools somehow too...so I go the best of the whole family as far as gifts went. I still have those tools...and I have used them as little as a month ago too.

I've noticed...my grandson seems to like hammers, anvils and metal. It's going to be an interesting life we have when we're together.