The Best Gift

I recently celebrated a birthday, which truthfully I would have preferred to blissfully ignore.  Unlike my two children, who talk about their birthdays nearly all year long, I didn’t  want to acknowledge that I was another year older.

The day started with breakfast in bed (a cup of tea and a doughnut with a candle), followed by several thoughtful presents.  My husband and I typically exchange fairly modest gifts. We prefer to help the kids pick out gifts, which often involves explaining why 40-year-old mommies and daddies aren’t as excited about Star Wars action figures and Disney Princess coloring books as they might be.

Sometimes, as a parent you wonder if you are modeling the grown-up behavior that you want your children to embrace. Most days, I remain uncertain, but on the morning of my birthday, I learned a little something about giving.

My almost five-year-old daughter picked out a lovely bouquet of miniature red roses. My six-year-old son gave me a beautiful silver locket, which I assumed his Daddy had purchased while they shopped together. Apparently, the rule about making assumptions still rings true. My husband and son shared the real story.

“Daddy and I went to look for a birthday present for you. I saw some silver necklaces and asked Daddy if he thought you would like one, ” reported my son.  “I said yes and after awhile we finally picked out the ‘best’ necklace,” added my husband. “I told him that we were ready to check out.” “I told Daddy that we couldn’t pay for it yet, because I didn’t have any money with me,” my son interjected. “Daddy said that he would pay for it, but I really wanted it to be from me. So, we drove home and got my money out of my Lightning McQueen wallet and went back to the store to buy the necklace. I was worried the whole time that it wouldn’t be there when we got back. But it was.”

The look of pride on my son’s face was absolutely priceless–a true gift. I am happy that he got to experience the joy of  giving someone he loves a thoughtful gift.  I still hear “I want that,” when a noisy overpriced toy appears on the television screen, but I block it out when I look at my priceless $2.00 locket.