life beyond the well…

Tag Archives: Family


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The Best Gifts Come in Small Packages

It’s safe to say that I’m rather particular about gifts.  As it gets closer to my birthday and Christmas, I always provide lists for people so that they can be clued in to the types of things that I like.  I feel that it’s fair, because my interests and needs change over time; and I feel that if you’re going to buy me a gift, I may as well help you get something that will be a definite winner.

My mother thinks that it is incredibly rude for me to provide a list for people, and that I should just be grateful and accepting of whatever the giver wanted to me to have.  I think that is true, to a certain extent (it’s not that I’m ungrateful); however, sometimes just accepting whatever people want you to have puts you in this position of having to feign gratefulness and gratitude.  “Oh, this was JUST what I wanted”- as you hope that your comment is believable to the giver and you pray that God doesn’t strike you down for lying.

Anyhow, I digress.  As you may know, as you get older, Christmas looks a lot different.  Gifts are less in number and more practical.  I’m slowly adjusting to that reality (and I should probably be better about it, considering I’m now 27 years old), and by doing so, receiving gifts that are indeed extremely practical has become alright.  Yet and still, there’s always one gift each year that is the winner, by which I am EXTREMELY delighted and overjoyed.  And here’s what that gift was this year:

Yes!  A Starbucks gift card!  I love Starbucks, but part of the reason that I don’t go frequently is that it’s so difficult for me to justify anywhere from $3-6 for a drink and a piece of cake.  Thus, I usually save it as a Friday morning treat.

However, while this gift is extremely practical and helps me to enjoy life a little more on Friday mornings, this gift was special to me because it came from my baby sister (who’s really not a baby anymore).  She’s got her first job slangin cheeseburgers and fries at McDonald’s and just decided that she was ready to go back to school (after taking a little time off after graduating from high school).  She’s doing such a wonderful job being responsible, and she is blossoming into an even more beautiful young woman.  I’m proud of her.

The fact that my baby sister thought enough of me to spend her hard earned money almost moved me to tears.  I know that for some people that’s not a big deal.  And that’s fine.  But it’s a big deal for me.  I never expect my younger siblings to get me a gift because I know they aren’t in that position.  However she extended herself, and I am super appreciative.

So,yeah.  In case you were wondering, it is indeed true that the best gifts come in small packages.

Until next time…


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How Thankful Are We?

I enjoy Thanksgiving. I have fond memories of my mother cooking all of my favorite foods (because really, who doesn’t like turkey, ham, potato salad, green beans, etc…) and us having a house FULL of family members to eat and rejoice with. Of course there was the time off from school, but just the general communion of people was so enjoyable.

There was always the quick dash to the grocery store in the morning because inevitably, something had been forgotten. Usually, a pie crust or some cranberry sauce, but there was always something that we had to rush to the store for, and it had to be done SOON…because it was Thanksgiving Day and the stores didn’t stay open very late.

That was then, this is now.

I’m amazed at the number of stores who are open on Thanksgiving this year. I’ve seen commercials for Wal-Mart, KMart, Target advertising that they’ll be open on Thanksgiving, as well as stores such as Ann Taylor and Old Navy. Hmmmm…

Perhaps it’s just me, but isn’t that strange? I understand it’s a recession, but is there an extreme necessity to be open on Thanksgiving? I feel that our society has very quickly transformed into one that is more and more about things and less about people, family, and experiences.

I understand the Black Friday phenomenon. I also have fond memories of being up in the wee hours of the morning on the Friday following Thanksgiving, traveling to Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and several other places to acquire the items on the very long Christmas list that one has as being a part of large family. I just can’t understand the need to begin that shopping on Thursday, on Thanksgiving Day.

It makes me wonder- how thankful are we? And what are we thankful for? Are we just thankful for a day off and another opportunity to spend hard-earned money (or for most people, spend beyond our means), or are we thankful for the chance to enjoy the time with our friends and family, to create memories and have experiences that are priceless?

I’m just wondering…