The Best Gift is...
By patgalca
@patgalca (18366)
Orangeville, Ontario
January 3, 2018 9:15am CST
I was begging for a tropical Christmas this year. I didn't want to deal with the stress of shopping, decorating, cooking, socializing, etc. I just wanted my husband and two daughters (no boyfriends) to go away and sit on a beach somewhere for 4 days. Alas, I did not get that gift. My girls are 24 and 21 and will be gone soon. I hope we can swing this next year.
I struggled with what to buy and all my shopping was so last minute and I was so stressed about it. That tropical Christmas continued to nag at me. We decided on limiting our gifts this year. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I found some really good deals - walked out of a clothing store with 4 tops and a set of make-up brushes all for $40; got a black blazer for $20.
My family is the most precious thing to me. Having re-decorated our bedroom recently, painting it gray, I want to do one big blank wall with black and white photos of my family. One of the gifts I got was the beginnings of such a project. That picture is above. It brought me to tears.
I noticed an envelope on the Christmas tree. When I questioned it my younger daughter said they were going to wait until my tears dried up before giving it to me. When I finally opened it, yeah, I cried. Tickets to go see Grease live on stage in Toronto!! We're going today!!!
Over the holidays we did manage to find a couple of nights where we could play games, just the four of us, and had some pretty good laughs. Because of the boyfriends those times are hard to come by. I'm not knocking the boyfriends, I just want time with my girls. I see so little of them these days.
The best gift is an experience gift. The gift of time. Time spent together, enjoying each other's company, having a few laughs, perhaps experiencing something new. I have gone skydiving with my oldest daughter. I have done the Edge Walk on the CN Tower with my oldest daughter. I have gone to Las Vegas and taken in some shows with my oldest daughter. And now we're going to Grease Live.
These are the most valuable gifts. I pray we can have that tropical Christmas next year. No gifts. Just time spent together.
6 people like this
8 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
3 Jan 18
Sounds like a wonderful Christmas. It is always nice to have some alone time with our children. It doesn't happen often as they get older and start their own lives. Beautiful picture. I love it!
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
3 Jan 18
The first two weeks of December we were able to spend with family that we haven't seen for 11 years and it was the best time of our lives. We will never forget how we spent our time together.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47312)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
3 Jan 18
Sounds like you had a good Christmas anyway, despite the cold and snow (none of that in the tropics).
Is your younger daughter not as adventurous as the older one?
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18366)
• Orangeville, Ontario
4 Jan 18
My younger daughter is, what she says, a "poor university student". She's actually hording her money (or budgeting) because she a) needs to buy a car and b) needs to save up to pay off the mounds of student loans she will have once school is done. I think she is of the mind that she has lots of time for adventure later.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18366)
• Orangeville, Ontario
5 Jan 18
Unless I win the lottery, a tropical Christmas isn't going to happen. I'm getting the "You don't realize how much it costs" lecture. Even WITH my daughter working for the airlines, there are still fees involved. And at that time of the year we would have to pay a booking fee in order to ensure seats and not fly standby.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18366)
• Orangeville, Ontario
7 Jan 18
@tammys85 The idea is to have one last vacation with just our girls before they move out. Katelyn is 24 (25 in April) and she and her boyfriend are actively searching for a home together. Melanie has one more year of university after this one. We really only ever had one vacation with our girls when we took them to Disney World. They were 6 and 9 and Melanie doesn't even remember it. All vacations have had to take place around visiting my husband's family, which is not "fun", not an adventure, not quality time together. It's visiting and sometimes pretty boring. It took me almost 20 years to get a honeymoon. I think my husband needs to think of THIS family, the one he created.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41427)
• United States
3 Jan 18
The older we get, I think we truly do appreciate time with loved ones more than any gifts bought with money. Maybe you'll get that tropical Christmas next year.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41427)
• United States
4 Jan 18
@patgalca Just keep saving and dreaming.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18366)
• Orangeville, Ontario
5 Jan 18
@1creekgirl Got another lecture from my younger daughter who says I don't realize how much such a trip would cost. My older daughter works for the airlines but we still have to pay some fees. I know we would have to pay extra to ensure saved seats as opposed to flying standby. She mentioned accommodation and food, etc. I said it's only for four days. Seems everyone is against me on this one.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
3 Jan 18
Sounds like your daughters came up with some thoughtful gifts.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82798)
• United States
3 Jan 18
I know how you feel about time alone with your girls and how hard it is. My children are all grown, married and have kids of their own so time alone with them is difficult.
Even though you didn't get your tropical Christmas it sounds like it was a good Christmas anyway.
1 person likes this
