In this column, I will call out my dear old mother, though it probably applies to hundreds of thousands of mothers in the world, especially during the Christmas season. While it might be tradition to go out of our way to tell our parents how we love and appreciate them, especially during this giving season, I am instead going to tell my mom that she鈥檚 really difficult and annoying when it comes to Christmas. Specifically, she鈥檚 really difficult and annoying when it comes to Christmas giving.
As a child, one wants to give their mom something. It doesn鈥檛 have to be big, but it has to be something, because after decades of support from parents we children want to show that we鈥檙e thinking about them and their needs.
The first step is to try to get an idea of what she might want. This is inevitably greeted by 鈥渄on鈥檛 get me anything.鈥� Which is not helpful, because I鈥檓 going to ignore that suggestion and find something.
Maybe it鈥檒l be something I overhear her complain about, such as when I bought her a new house phone after she spent months talking about how her phone didn鈥檛 work quite right. Maybe it鈥檒l be something I know she will enjoy, such as the time I bought her some Elvis albums which have since become a staple of her van鈥檚 CD player. This isn鈥檛 a perfect system, such as in the year when all of her children bought her slippers, and it would be easier if she just gave helpful suggestions.
Then comes Christmas morning, when all of her many children present their gifts, and no matter what it is or the amount of thought and care we put into our selections, are always greeted with 鈥淲hat did you get me that for?鈥�
Well, mom, we got you that because we love and appreciate you and want to give you something that you might enjoy.
It鈥檚 not just my mom that has this problem. There are potentially millions of other children out there with moms and dads who refuse to be at all helpful over Christmas. And, even if we are constantly told otherwise, we are still going to show our appreciation for our parents no matter how much they insist they don鈥檛 need anything and don鈥檛 know why we鈥檝e gone out of our way to find them a gift. After all, we need our parents to know how much we love and appreciate them, even when 鈥� possibly especially when 鈥� they irritate us.
To my mom, to other moms, to dads, to grandparents, to uncles and aunts and other relations. You鈥檙e going to get gifts, you鈥檙e going to like it, because your family loves you and wants you to know. Deal with it.
