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My wife and I don't exchange Christmas presents. We still give each other birthday presents and anniversary presents and
Valentine's Day presents. But a few years ago, we stopped giving each other Christmas presents. Many people find this strange. I found it strange for a little while. My favorite Christmas present of all time came from my wife, Robin. That was in 1978. We weren't married at the time. We'd known each other only
six months. It was our first Christmas as a couple. It also was my first Christmas without my grandmother. My grandmother, Myrtle, could have passed for Mrs. Claus. She was jolly and
plump. She had big, rosy red cheeks. And she kept Mr. Claus (also known as
Granddaddy) in line. At Christmas, Granddaddy helped Santa with the toys. Grandma cooked and
baked and cleaned and fixed and decorated and wrapped. She also took care of the other presents we got. You know. The kind you
really don't want as a kid. The kind you shake and nothing moves, and you
know immediately, it's just clothes. Grandma always gave us clothes. Not just any clothes. Each Christmas,
Grandma gave each of her grandchildren a box of brand-new socks and
underwear. We always knew which box it was. We always opened it last. She didn't mind. "You shouldn't always get what you want for Christmas," she'd say. "Sometimes you should get what you need." Grandma died in March 1978. I met Robin in June that year. On the day before my first Christmas without Grandma, Robin and I sat in my
Granddaddy's house and exchanged gifts for the first time. Robin made me open the smallest one last. It was the best Christmas present
I ever got. A box of socks and underwear. We've been married for 22 years now. A few years ago, we stopped exchanging
Christmas presents. In part, we stopped for financial reasons. Our gift list has grown over the
years to include three children, not to mention a passel of nieces, nephews,
godchildren and other children we're partial to. In part, we stopped for mental health reasons. Christmas shopping, which
once seemed merely madcap, now seems like madness to us. The less done the
better. Mostly, my wife and I stopped exchanging Christmas presents because we
realized my Grandma was exactly right. Christmas isn't about the gifts you want. It's about the gifts you need. Each Christmas, as Robin and I watch our three gifts from God open their
presents, we realize there's nothing we want or need that we don't already
have. Don't worry, Grandma. I have plenty of socks and underwear. So do your great-grandchildren. They each get a new supply every year. |
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By the way, you do exchange
gifts...you give each other all the love you need and share it with your
family , friends and now the website. |
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