I believe that rich or poor we all have something to give. Monetary gifting is probably the easiest, that is if you have money. Coming up with ideas for the receiver is more difficult and when funds are tight it’s time to get creative. 

Throughout my married life with children we’ve had all types of Christmas’. Ones where we had more to give and ones where we really had to stretch, sacrifice and make do. I learned a lot from the years when we didn’t have very much money. I learned how putting thought into what we could give ended up being some of the best gifts. Let’s face it, we all have loved ones that are hard to buy for. Either they can go out and get what they want or everything you can think of costs more than your bank account will allow. My Dave isn’t exactly hard to buy for, he’s happy with whatever, but most things that I know he wants just doesn’t fit in the budget. So this year I started planning earlier than ever.

In May of 2020 I lost my job and honestly a whole lot more than that but with that being said I lost my income. Over the course of the next year I gained much of what I had lost back except the income part. It’s sometimes difficult for me to rely solely on Dave’s income, especially when it comes to buying gifts for him. When fall of 2021 arrived my thoughts started drifting towards the holidays. Cost plays a big part of what the holidays entail. With gifts to buy, parties to host and birthdays to celebrate, money is something we have to factor in. With the pandemic and our family spreading out I wanted more than anything to make this holiday season extra special. And by that I don’t just mean in the amount we spend but in the thoughtfulness of which I gift and where I choose to spend extra. 

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a planner. I’m organized and a list keeper. I fill notepads, backs of receipts or pieces of mail with my thoughts. I consider everything from food, to clothing, what we’ll do for entertainment and when is the best time to gather for all. As I’m revising yet another list there’s a batch of cookies baking. It was late in the month of September and I’d been working on the baby shower we were hosting for Sarah next month. As the aroma from the cookies started filling the air an idea started to take root. 

For as long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed baking and there is one specialty of mine that is always complimented. My chocolate chip cookies. It’s not very well known that I do bake them professionally and in fact have a weekly gig with a local bank that offers them to in- person customers in their lobby on Saturdays. It’s not a big money maker but being paid monthly adds up and that got me to thinking. 

We celebrated our tenth year in our dream home this year. Everything about this home has been a combination of places we’ve lived, homes we’ve stayed at or just dreams we’ve wished. One space in particular has been a dream of Dave’s. When Dave was a teenager he had a close group of friends that hung out together often. Some of his favorite memories are with these friends and in a home that invited all the laughter and shenanigans of this group. He also found a father figure of sorts at this house and a place where he was always welcomed. If you ask him about it you’ll see his eyes light up and crinkle at the sides as a smile spreads across his face. He’ll tell you about a place where you didn’t have to knock when you came in, a place where you always felt at home and about the pool table where he learned to play. You can imagine it has always been his dream to have such a house and a pool table. 

The growing up years of the kids with activities, schooling, proms, graduations and such we didn’t focus too much on some of the luxuries we wanted and went more with things we needed and were practical. Of course when the blue prints were being drawn up we made sure there was a room for a pool table. The table itself actually came before the house did. During the build we had the electrician install the wiring for a light above the table and a switch on the wall to flick it on. Ten years later, many many games of pool have been played and all thought of the light for the table became dim. That is until this past fall as I was writing down ideas for loved ones for Christmas. 

 I finally had a great idea but my balloon deflated just a little as I researched my options and discovered the costs. I talked to the kids about going in on the gift as I assumed the goal was insurmountable for just me to meet. Even with their help, it’d be a stretch. My baking account had just over $150 but I needed five times that much with only eight weeks to earn it. I turned to social media, used the little bit of the marketing I’d learned and made a For Sale post boosting cookies and party mix. The response caught me by surprise. In no time I was at the store buying more supplies, baking and packaging. I was filling out thank you cards and tracking the income. In the middle of November I was almost to the goal without anyone else going in on the gift. I got compliments and more orders. Word of mouth spread and my white envelope was getting fat with bills. By the end of the month I had made enough and placed my order on Black Friday. The free shipping and extra percent off was just what I needed. 

December arrived mild for Iowa but I was too busy to notice. Our annual cookie party came and went. We hosted a store party a few days before Dave’s birthday. Time was closing in. The amount of emails I sorted through daily threatened to overload my inbox. Since all of the shopping had been done online I had to sort and file the shipping dates and pray the big one wouldn’t arrive when he was home. Two weeks had passed since the order was placed and I hadn’t heard a word. According to the website orders were being shipped within seven business days. I sent an email but received no response. We celebrated Dave’s birthday with other family members whose birthdays are in December on the 19th. Slightly discouraged that his gift hadn’t arrived I was secretly glad too because once it got here I knew it’d be even harder for me not to tell him. I’m just not all that patient and this was something I was so excited to give.

The following Monday, December 20th I called the company in a bit of a panic, they had already pulled the payment and sent me a tracking number that wasn’t active yet. I was reassured the light would arrive on time and every day following I checked that tracking number. Thankfully, when it did arrive, Dave was at work. I had a heck of a time maneuvering the oversized box to our basement storage room. As much as I wanted to open it up and verify everything was okay, I wanted Dave to be the first one to see it. 

Two days to go. The baking was done, the orders all filled but the gift still needed to be wrapped. With a fresh roll of shipping tape and my “good scissors” (that cut through wrapping paper like a hot knife through butter) I set off for the basement. I got out a roll of heavy duty wrapped paper and put my supplies on the covered pool table, then drug out the boxed up light. After cutting four exact same size pieces for the sides, I cut two more pieces, one for the top and one for the bottom. Then I used up the entire spool of tape. I stood back and looked at my handiwork. Feeling proud of my accomplishment, a warmth of happiness spread but I still had two days to wait for him to open it. I pushed the box into Ryan’s old bedroom and left it in a corner where if you walked passed you wouldn’t see it. Then I went upstairs to fill out a card.

December 23rd is our oldest daughter’s birthday and thankfully we had the diversion of celebrating with her. Out for tacos and margaritas with the excitement of Christmas to come. 

Christmas Eve was a much quieter affair as the kids were all busy and Dave closed down the grocery store. I had cleaned the house, watered the tree, laid out steaks and prepped the annual viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life. Our evening was peaceful but the anticipation was building for me. 

Christmas morning started with our fresh brewed cups of coffee and reminiscing of the years when the kids were younger. We decided a video call to our oldest son Ryan, his wife Brianna and our granddaughter Hadley was just what we needed. Watching the soon to be three year old jumping up and down telling us how Santa had come was the perfect distraction. She was so proud of the cookies she’d baked for him and that he “ate them all.” But the call was all too brief as her attention span waned and we said our good byes. 

My list of what to start when was filled out and laying on the kitchen counter. We enjoyed breakfast pantries and ignored lunch hoping to savor every bite of dinner. By three in the afternoon the first of our family arrived. Mitch, Sarah and Lucy their Australian shepherd. Followed by Dave’s folks then Andrew, Briana and their two dogs; Skye and Scout. Most of us were picture ready so we started the couples while we waited for Emily and Jack to arrive. Pictures were fun with big groups and small, dogs and smiles, laughter and hugs. Dinner was ready by six and by six thirty we were stacking the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. With all the extra hands, clean up was a cinch and in no time we were setting up in the great room. The girls started separating gifts into individual piles where we usually sit for this occasion. The excitement surrounding us felt light and full of love. Everyone was happy to give and receive. Since the kids knew about the gift for their dad I conspired with a couple of the boys when to present it.

Round and round the room we went, opening, oohing and aahing over everything. When the last present was unwrapped and thank you’s were passed around, two of the boys slipped from the room while the rest of us gathered garbage and refolded gift bags. I snuck off to the bedroom to get the card I’d written. As I rounded the corner back into the great room, the boys were wrangling the box up the stairs and down the hallway that houses the Waite picture wall. 

This whole time Dave is just sitting on the couch relaxed, enjoying the dogs and his family. I motion for the boys to come on in but watch Dave for his reaction. I walk over and stand above him, he’s confused as I lean in to kiss him and tell him I love him, then hand him the card in a red envelope. At this point my emotions have gotten the better of me and love starts filling my eyes and over flowing down my cheeks. I watch anxiously as he opens and slowly reads the card. Then he looks at me and says “what did you do?” with a smirk on his face.

You know we all have something to give. Maybe it’s something you make, something you work for, maybe it’s something you do for someone. I believe the best gift you can give comes from the heart. Something that is thoughtful and meaningful. When you give a gift like that you’re actually giving two gifts, one for the receiver and the second is in the giving itself.