Christmas Memories

Christmas Memories

by Barry Adkins on December 20, 2011

Personally, I think that Christmas should be about celebrating the birth of Christ and spending time with friends and family — Not shopping.

I am guessing that I am not alone when I say that my most distinct memories of Christmas’s past have nothing to do with what someone gave me, but rather the things that happened at Christmas time.

Like, when my oldest daughter, Cassandra, was about five years old. I patiently waited for all three of the kids to fall asleep so I could put the presents out, which meant I was up past my bedtime. Cassandra got up before everyone else and opened everyone’s presents! I came out to see wrapping paper and gifts everywhere!

Or the time when I went Christmas shopping, and along with all the other gifts, as dad’s do this kind of thing, I bought a blow dryer for Cassandra. When I got home, I started wrapping the gifts, but only got the blow dryer wrapped. I stuffed it, under the tree, in the back. A few weeks later, I finished wrapping the gifts, and being the clever guy that I am, I forgot that I had already wrapped the blow dryer. I couldn’t find it anywhere, and was sure the cashier at Walmart had forgotten to put it in my bag. So, on Christmas Eve, I marched out to Walmart and told them they had forgotten to give the blow dryer to me. The lady at Customer Service was very apologetic and sent me to get the merchandise I was missing. I went back home, wrapped it, and put it under the tree. Christmas morning, when Cassandra was done unwrapping her gifts, she turned to me and said, “Dad, why did you get me two blow dryers?” Uhhh, well, uhhh, because your dear, old dad has lost his mind? So, the day after Christmas, I took the second blow dryer back to Walmart, explained what had happened, and ate humble pie. There was a lot of giggling at my expense, and I guess I deserved it!

Having said all this, I think the coolest thing to do at Christmas, (or any time of year for that matter), is to practice random acts of kindness and gift giving, and if you can do it anonymously, all the better. It will be your own little secret–and leave others to try to figure out the mystery.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Something very good will come from this….

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