For those who celebrate Christmas, opening presents is at the top of the list of fun holiday activities. I’ve always been a nosy person, and not knowing what was underneath the tree was agonizing for me.
I was a pro at snooping. I’d shake the boxes and feel all over the fronts and sides, trying to figure out what was inside.
I would gently peel the tape off, carefully pull off the paper, look at what was inside and then rewrap the gift.
There weren’t any surprises for me, but my curiosity was stronger than my willingness to be shocked.
My dad knew I was a world-class snoop. One year, he came in with a wrapped box for my Mom and put it under the tree.
“What’s in there?” I asked, always the nosy kid.
“A coffee maker,” he replied. “If your mom asks what’s in there, go ahead and tell her.”
I was thrilled he’d told me but a little sad as I couldn’t snoop and find out for myself. Mom came in later that day, saw the box and smiled.
“I wonder what’s in here,” she said as she touched the big box.
“It’s a coffee maker,” I blurted out.
Her face fell. I’d taken away the surprise, and I felt a little guilty.
“Dad said if you asked, I could tell,” I said, trying to explain.
When Mom opened the box on Christmas, a stereo was inside. My face fell.
“You said it was a coffee maker,” I said to my dad. He laughed.
“I knew you couldn’t resist telling her, so I didn’t tell you the truth,” he replied, and I knew he was right.
My husband and I still laugh over our eldest boy’s Christmas list when he was in the first grade. There were three items on the 7-year-old’s list: a checking account, a money tree and a pony.
Let’s just say Santa didn’t deliver on any of those items.
Even though I’m good at figuring out what’s in the boxes, I’m not the best at gift-giving. I agonize over what to give everyone, usually striking out.
The shirts I buy are either too small or too big, not the right style or not what our boys want. My inability to choose well caused my middle son to take action. He emails me a detailed list of what he wants for Christmas.
One year, his list was divided into two categories: What to buy and what not to buy. I still remember what was underneath the “do-not-buy” banner: pajama pants, sweat pants with elastic cuffs and dress clothes – “you have bad taste.”
Underneath the “what-to-buy” headline were the direct links to the items he wanted, including the correct size and color. In all honesty, that’s the best list I ever get because I know he’ll like everything.
On the other hand, the gifts he gives us are spot on. He gave me a small space heater one year, and I use it daily when winter arrives. One year, he gave me a Kindle reader, and I use that on every trip we go on.
Same goes for the Blue-Tooth speaker he gave me. It stayed in the box for almost a year because I didn’t know what it was. Our youngest son saw the box and couldn’t believe I wasn’t using the speaker.
Now, I use it all the time, and thank Stephen for being such a good gift giver.
Our oldest has forgiven me for not planting a money tree in the back yard, and his gifts are always what I need and love – a leg massager I use every other day tops the list.
I’ll be making the last of the Christmas run this week, and I’m going to try and find the perfect gift that’s not what they expect to receive.
A snoop can always hope.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.