The Best Gift You've Ever Received?

GiversLog is helping Ladies Home Journal with an article about the best gifts ever received. What comes to your mind when I ask this question?

When I was 6 or 7, I had a birthday party for friends at our house in Michigan. I believe this was the very party when I chugged a giant 2-liter bottle of cherry-flavored Faygo and then puked it up later that same evening. (If I don't tell you that, my sister will via the comments, so I'm just putting it out there the way I remember it.)

My mom didn't allow any sugar in the house, and that's basically where my bad relationship with the white powder begins - TO THIS DAY, if I can get my hands on sugar, it feels like a wicked, wicked treat. But that's another blog post.

Bueno, en resumidas cuentas, my neighborhood friend Ruthie brought a gift to my party that I would call the "best" gift I've ever received. It was a shoebox filled with small toys and surprises. There were crayons, jacks, play money (my favorite!) and one of those rubber balls attached to a paddle that you smack around for five minutes until it breaks. In essence, it was a box full of things that I'd see at the grocery store, always wanted, but my mother would never buy for me. 

I found a great tutorial at IndieTutes that demonstrates how to turn an ordinary shoe box into a pirate's treasure box for kids.  These are photos from the IndieTutes site. My box looked a lot like this. 

Interestingly enough, I don't remember playing with anything in the shoebox. The real moment of excitement was the package itself - the feeling of surprise when pulling the top off, wonder at each item and the feeling of being suddenly toy rich.

I have received many wonderful gifts since that time but this one comes to mind as the first, best.

What is the best gift you've ever been given? GiversLog is collecting stories for an article in Ladies Home Journal. You can email your story to AmberLee at the address noted here.

Comments

[AmberLee]

Heidi!
I love this, it really is the little things.

Thanks for the shout out, hopefully we'll get a few more great stories. And I'll be sure to pass yours along too.

[Nursing clothing]

wow! that's excellent idea! love it! love the thought of the present. yay! wish you all the best and good luck!

[teent]

Well, it just so happens that I don't remember you throwing up the entire 2 liter bottle anyway. At least not *that* barf event. I do remember others...

Anyway, the best christmas I remember (not necessarily the best gift I ever got, cuz I can't think of that right now) was the christmas the parents were getting divorced. Now, guilt is a good thing sometimes. Remember? They went ALL OUT. Two big plastic sleds FILLED with candy, clothes, toys, and I don't remember what. It wasn't the *what* that was awe-inspiring, it was the (what seemed to me) incredible quantity of it all. What ever happened to those sleds, anyway?

[Hildee Wilson]

When Emily was nine, she was so enamored with the American Girl dolls. She had read all of the historical books and wanted TWO dolls (Felicity and Elizabeth) for Christmas that year. Well, American Girl Place had recently opened in Chicago and I decided to surprise her with a New Year's Eve trip to visit the store, see the review and have tea and lunch in the tea room.

But the most exciting part that Emily always talks about is that she had no presents under the tree that season. Usually there are some nicely wrapped gifts, for decoration, which are also a temptation to shake and guess what is in the box.

But not that year. She was extremely disappointed very few gifts were under the tree even when she awoke early Christmas Day -- until we pulled out a new rolling suitcase. When she opened the case, she couldn't even see the neatly typed itinerary and plane tickets. Her eyes were alight by the coordinating winter clothes (lavender, ivory and blue from Old Navy and The Gap) a flannel nightgown, knit scarves, winter boots and a white down ski jacket.

Remember, we live in Miami, and the need for heavy sweaters, boots and down coats are few and far between. I'd packed everything she needed for the cold, snowy Chicago weather. Socks, underwear, a travel kit, and hair accessories.

It was a good ten minutes when she'd finished pulling everything out and examining it before she wondered what she needed all the winter clothes for. Then she saw the itinerary . . .

The trip was wonderful, but that's another story. The fully packed suitcase . . . that was her what caused her delight and wonderment! She's fifteen now, and she loves to pack for trips or even a sleepover. In fact she'll plan it out days or weeks in advance. I think it's because she liked to look at that fully-packed suitcase for the week before we departed to Chicago, to anticipate the great fun and joys that were to come.