The Best Christmas Gift

Writer's Cramp:Write a story or poem about the best Christmas gift you ever bought and the story leading up to your purchase.


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The Best Christmas Gift

One year, at the private school where my daughter attended and I taught, there was a Christmas tree in the lobby. It was wreathed, not with decorations, but with names of people, people who needed help over the holiday. Jennifer and I left our choice for the last day, and on that Friday we scanned the names that were left. Only big families had not been selected. We chose a card with a family of seven.

All the names that had been put on the tree were people from the poorer side of town, where families often lived in garages or took up housekeeping with several families in one small dwelling. The family whose name we had chosen was like that. The father was out of work. The mother was a stay-at-home caretaker with five little children.

The card gave us the name and age of each family member. It also listed one clothing need and one “desire” for each child.The parents hadn’t been allowed to request anything. But they would be given groceries. The school had collected for that as well.

It was fun to shop for the children on our card. Jennifer and I purchased all that was on the list, meanwhile investigating toys and clothing that seemed so small and adorable. Then, hours later, we wrapped the gifts and set them aside, ready to take them to the drop-off place.

But Jennifer and I were not satisfied. We talked about what it must be like to receive so little, and how the poor parents would be receiving nothing. Jennifer and I both wanted to do more for the family. We wanted to adopt them.

We discussed what we could do. Then we got busy, each fashioning little items we made that were extra. I sewed a big, red apron with a Scottish dog on the front in plaid. The mother’s name I embroidered across the pocket at the top. I hoped she’d be pleased. My daughter sewed a matching potholder. The red plaid looked so pretty.

We bought a hammer and a set of screwdrivers of all shapes and sizes. We found an orange, metal kit to place them in which had cubicles that we filled with nails, screws, tacks, and picture hanging wire. We placed the father’s name on it with our label making kit. Then we went out and bought some plain old, white kerchiefs so my daughter could embroider his name on them. She gave him different colors for each day of the week. I hope he appreciated her efforts.

We also bought each family member a brand new towel and washcloth and embroidered each name on them. I painted wooden Christmas ornaments for each member and plopped them into the extra box, along with a Santa Claus stocking for each, glittered by my daughter.

Sure, we bought the requested items: the blue jeans, the football, the game and toys the children had asked for, but the extras we made for each person made that family real to us, and I hope they realized how much we cared.

We never heard from them. They weren’t supposed to know our name, and we were never told their last name. But my daughter and I imagined them so often, it’s as if we could almost see their faces.

We were sure their eyes must have lit up, as they opened the special boxes and received their goodies and surprises. We included some iced Christmas cookies, some chocolate fudge and a fruitcake we made for them. We even placed a cassette of a Christmas tape of music on top, and wrote them an unsigned letter, wishing them a Merry Christmas and telling them that we hoped they enjoyed their presents.

That all took place many years ago when my daughter was still in elementary school. I hope that family is doing better now. Sometimes, I wonder if they even remember that Christmas and the boxes they received from strangers. I hope they do, but it doesn’t really matter.

My daughter and I remember. We still talk about it every Christmas. “Let’s do that again,” we always say because it was the most fun of any Christmas. In fact, to be honest, it was the best Christmas gift we ever bought.


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