The Tuesday Diversion: What Was Your Best Christmas Present?

This question can mean two things. It came to mind as I was looking for presents for my kids, and remembered back to Christmas when I was a kid. Some stand out, like the year in the early 60s when I got a battery powered beeping jeep, a drum set, and a Superman outfit (warning: never drape a plastic yellow belt over the lampshade of a lit bulb). Or when my sister and I got all sorts of Man From U.N.C.L.E. spy paraphernalia. We still fight over who was cooler, Napoleon Solo or Ilya Kuryakin (it was Ilya).

But then I thought of the presents I've given, and without doubt I've received more joy from the giving than I have from the receiving. Even as a kid, whenever someone in my family was genuinely happy with a gift of mine, I felt great. Well, ok, maybe not as great as when I got a great gift, but it's certainly true as a grown-up.

So, there's two possible answers: what's the best Christmas present you ever got, and what's the best you've ever given?

•  as for me

  I can't really say what's the best Christmas present I've gotten or given, though my youngest was born close enough to the 25th that she qualifies on both counts.

  by The Centerfielder on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 01:52:01 PM PDT

•  Engagement ring...

  For both answers...even though the marriage didn't last.

  by kmiddle on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 01:53:10 PM PDT

•  The best Christmas present I've ever received...

  Was time with my grandmother when she was in hospice and just held on.

  The best Christmas present I've ever given was the hundred bucks I threw at Howard Dean (click the link in my sig) to help rebuild America.

  by ultrageek on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 01:53:12 PM PDT

•  a head tournament director

  I was 11, I believe, when I received a new tennis racquet, a Head "Tournament Director." A black, oversized aluminum beauty, it was much bigger than the wooden $12 Wilson Pro-Star I had been playing with much of the previous year, which is when I first started playing tennis.

  I believe I had the Tournament Director for at least 2-3 years, which may be part of the reason I developed some  nasty tennis elbow by the time I was 16. That racquet, it turns out, was one of the worst at absorbing vibrations. It all went to your arm.

  I loved it nonetheless.

  by Whigsboy on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 01:59:02 PM PDT

•  The hand made Raggedy Ann doll

  (because mom could not find the commercially made one) that was hand delivered by Santa. Nothing else touches it.

  The best given, probably the 40 year old photo I found of my brother and dad together. Dad died long ago and my brother had just suffered a heart attack days before the present arrived - it meant alot to him.  

  by dansk47 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:00:20 PM PDT

•  During Desert Storm my Commander allowed

  me to spend the day with my parents in Riverside Calif before we deployed into the Gulf  the last Xmas I ever shared with my mother before she died

  by testvet6778 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:02:33 PM PDT

•  The best.

  My husband was seriously ill for many years.  The costs not covered by insurance drained our savings, caused me to sell everything we owned.  Prior to that, we made a very good income.  I had 18 horses (a breeding/showing operation), huge house, 2 cars, truck, horse trailer, and the five kids had pretty much everything they wanted.  Christmas was an orgy of overindulgence.

  The year things were the worst, I had sold everything but two horses and the truck.  We lived in a 2 bedroom apartment, all five kids and myself.  Even sold my dishes.  So Christmas was coming, we had been eating noodles with tomato paste for a week, all 3 meals, and I had not one gift for my kids.  Well, I took my show colt to a sale barn.  Got $200 for him, but I was able to get the kids some gifts.

  When my children found out I sold Buddy to get their gifts, they gathered them up, and the 2 oldest kids returned them all.  They did this without my knowledge.  Then they gave me the money  and told me to go get Buddy back.

  A gift of love from my children that I will never be able to repay.

  by Miss Blue on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:07:00 PM PDT

  •  Were you able to get Buddy back?

    by gfv6800 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:53:46 PM PDT

    •  Thanks for asking.

      I declined the offer from my children.  Just the fact they offered was gift enough for me.  They deserves their gifts far more than I needed that colt.

      This year the poor kids are getting nothing, lol.  I have to laugh or I'd be crying.  Been unemployed since September and things are fairly desperate.  They are grown now though, so I think they'll understand.

      by Miss Blue on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 03:04:07 PM PDT

      •  I think I just shifted your attention...

        from a sweet memory to a sad one.  I'm sorry.  If the kids learned well your lesson in courage, and I'm pretty sure they must have, then they'll be all right.  Wishing you well....

        by gfv6800 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:13:41 PM PDT

•  Muffuletta.

  Christmas, 1992.

  The gift that keeps on giving.

  

  by Floja Roja on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:08:35 PM PDT

•  My oldest daughter

  who should have arrived on the 25th, but she stopped circling the airport about 10:00pm and actually hit the runway on the 26th. :)

  utahmom

  by nio on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:14:21 PM PDT

•  A helmet, pads and jersey

  when I was 8. It was the only thing I got that year, things were tight. But it was the best.  Drew a Colts horseshoe on the helmet. Johnny U was the man then.  

  by coloradocomet on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:20:04 PM PDT

  •  Also 8--Lionel Train.

    I still have it, with the price tag that says $39.95!

    Last I checked, it's worth $1300 (Mom always made me put it away in the original boxes).

    by homogenius on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:32:33 PM PDT

  •  Oh very good!

    I also got a Colts helmet with the horseshoe, in 4th grade. Yep, Johnny Unitas. Also the year I got all sorts of "signed" pictures from the Orioles PR dept.

    by The Centerfielder on Thu Dec 21, 2006 at 08:06:47 AM PDT

•  I realize it's trite, but...

  ... I can't lie. It was the Nintendo Entertainment System.

  Hoo boy.

  And opening up the stocking to the metallic glint of the original "Legend of Zelda" cartridge? This is what a young suburban boy's dreams are made of.

  My best Xmas memory, however, is a little more touching. Back when I was a kid, we had a wood-burning fireplace and my mom and dad took a pair of boots and made footprints in the ash left behind. Along with the crumbs on the paper plate and the empty glass of 2% milk, this was all the proof of the existence of Santa that I needed.

  by droogie6655321 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:24:19 PM PDT

  •  Legend of Zelda

    Got that for my kids.  And they had to fight me to get their chance to play.

    The Mario games and Zelda were the so much fun.

    by edwardssl on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:36:35 PM PDT

    •  Heh

      I remember my first babysitter knew the turtleshell trick in Mario where you could get as many 1-Ups as you wanted. I had a crush on her, but it wasn't for her videogame prowess.

      by droogie6655321 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:47:57 PM PDT

•  So lame but...

  received: Michael Jackson's Thriller when I was 7.  I know what it means to wear a record out.

  given: I once found a complete Donny and Marie stage set with dolls for a friend of mine... brought back a lot of Christmas memories for both of us.

  by rina on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:27:55 PM PDT

•  I was about 8 and it was the year we had NO money

  I mean NOTHING.  This as in the early 60s, so no credit cards. Our parents were divorced and deadbeat Dad skipped the state. So mom had to really rack her brain to come up with something innovative.

  She spent about $12 getting me a toy sewing machine that worked.  She had a seamstress friend collect fabric remnants, filling up an entire box.  I then spend months and months making clothes for my dolls.  In fact, I had that box of remnants for years.

  Then mom collected whatever hand tools she could from friends and relatives that had an extra hammer to donate here, an extra screwdriver there, etc.  She went to the lumber yard, where you could load up your trunk with as much free scrap wood as you wanted.  My 3 brothers spent the rest of the winter building things in the basement, including a kids-sized pool table (I donated the felt from my box of fabric remnants).

  You should have seen how we decorated the tree.  What fun!

  BEST.CHRISTMAS.EVER.

  by edwardssl on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:35:24 PM PDT

  •  what a wonderful story

    by primrose on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 03:59:19 PM PDT

    •  awesome indeed

      You should turn that into a children's story for the holiday time. Find an illustrator.

      by Whigsboy on Wed Dec 20, 2006 at 05:24:24 AM PDT

•  A coworker...

  gave me this last Christmas...

  

  sometimes the small things are the best things.

  As far as best gave, one year my SIL's cousin got a guitar and he didn't know anything about guitars so they brought it over for me to tune and they hinted that the family wasn't doing to great financially so I packed up the case with extra-strings, pics and some beginner type books. Never met the kid but it felt nice to help someone down the road of music.

  by blueyedace2 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 02:50:53 PM PDT

•  My best Christmas present was

  when I was seven.  I recieved a Royal Canadain Mounted Police uniform and a stuffed monkey.  I was So happy.  I was also a tomboy.

  by Owllwoman on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 03:00:42 PM PDT

•  My parents bought me a cool microscope that a

  university was unloading during a replacement phase. They actually got all the cool trimmings to go with it, as well. I only regret that I didn't use it more often, but it's still sitting in a closet, and I could easily haul it out and make use of it. It's one of the old reflected-mirror illumination types, but it has some bitchin' optics on it--probably more than is useful, considering its light source (high magnification unfortunately also means less light coming through the system, so that's kind of a bummer). This was, I think, seventh grade.

  by steve davis on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 03:02:17 PM PDT

  •  My best present was a microscope, too....

    ...and I spent hours looking at all kinds of disgusting things, and made messes trying to "invent" my own stains - using Schaeffer's ink.
     The best present I ever gave - "Voodoo for Dummies" to Dr. Dave, my office partner, when he was in charge of a local Hospice last year, and one of the patients admitted came from a hospice in New Orleans, and told Dr. Dave that he wanted a Voodoo funeral...he loved the book, and displays it to patients in the office, threatening them with it if they don't cut their salt, cholesterol or if they don't exercise...

    by drchelo on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 03:55:11 PM PDT

    •  (smile) well, if they're zombies,

      an increase in salt might be the best thing for them. Fill their mouths with it, and then sew the lips shut. This should keep them from walking. Of course, the Hippocratic Oath maybe demands that you do your best for your patients--even if they are dead. Maybe loss of locomotion would be considered kind of a downer for a zombie....

      by steve davis on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:39:18 PM PDT

•  Best I ever Got was Yesterday!

  My wife was IMing MY daughter for the past 2 months (my wifes stepdaughter) who lives 500 miles away behind my back setting up the Bestest Christmas Present I ever got. My wife flew my daughter and my 1 y.o. Grandaughter here for Christmas. (I've never seen or held my grandaughter...shes my first grandbaby) They got here at 9:00 a.m. yesterday morning. Wife drove to the airport (without me knowing and picked them up). When they walked into the house yesterday morning I cried like a lil baby. (49 y.o. grandpa isn't as tough as he used to be I guess)

  BESTEST CHRISTMAS EVER! I get to hug my grandaughter for a whole week!

  by DumpDoolittle on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 03:52:10 PM PDT

  •  Fantastic!

    Hope you and your family have a great time.

    by edwardssl on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:41:48 PM PDT

•  My sister's old car

  A brilliant gift when I was poor and just arrived back in the US.

  by primrose on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 03:58:21 PM PDT

•  Bah humbug.

  Best ever given?  Well, there was someone in my life a few years ago who I cared a lot about and who was going through some hard times.  I went Christmas shopping at Archie McPhee and put together a Christmas care package for him of silly, fun stuff like pelican swizzle sticks and a boxing nun.  I also sent a couple of home-burned CDs and some chocolate.

  The letter I got from him after he received and opened the package made me cry.  I've never received such heartfelt thanks in my life, for anything.  Actually, I think that letter was the best Christmas gift I ever received.

  So why the bah, humbug?  Because the very next year this same person sent his Christmas package back to me unopened, and the rejection of that gift broke my heart.  I didn't think it even possible to be hurt that much by something that you'd think wouldn't be that big a deal.  But I'll never take pleasure in giving gifts like I once did.  Not after that.

  I don't have that letter anymore.  I burned it.  

  by Mehitabel9 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:08:10 PM PDT

  •  Wow, sorry he did that.

    Some people are so thoughtless.  I hope someday the hurt lessens, because I'm sure there are folks out there much more deserving (and would probably be infinitely more appreciative).

    by edwardssl on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:46:45 PM PDT

    •  Ya know,

      it really IS the thought that counts.  

      I learned that one the hard way.

      by Mehitabel9 on Tue Dec 19, 2006 at 04:50:15 PM PDT