In Search of the Perfect Gift ....
There was a comic in today's newspaper that was just hilarious. A guy is at the gift wrapping booth in a mall, and the woman wrapping the gift says, "Nice iron. Your wife will love it. While I wrap it, you might want to go over to sporting goods and pick out a helmet."

This reminded me of a conversation that I had the other day with a friend of mine about the stress of finding the perfect gift for somebody. Christmas has a way of creating unbelievable pressure to give your friends, family, or loved ones the gift to end all gifts. My friend is caught in a situation where his girlfriend of 1 year (ie. first Christmas together) told him that she doesn't want anything ..... well, I looked at him like he had 3 heads when he said that. I pointed out the fact that what she said really didn't correspond with what she really wants. I hope that he gets it now. Anyhow, my kids are relatively easy to buy for - my teenage son even trusts me to buy him some (and I quote) "really pimping clothes". It's my parents that are hard to buy for. Magazine subscriptions are always a good bet for siblings, but what do you buy your parents who have everything? Can you believe that my mother's gift this year consists of mobility products? Nothing like a walker rental and a 2" raised toilet seat to say Merry Christmas! I think that I am having a hard time dealing with the reality of their aging ..... and what comes with that.

But back to the gifts. I am at the point in my life where I don't want somebody to give me something unless they really want it, need it, or love it. And yet I have no clue what to tell people what I want for Christmas. I'm pretty sure that I see things daily that I would like, whether it's in a magazine or in a store, and yet I cannot verbalize one thing that my sister or brother could buy for me. Winter tires? Yee haw. Botox? Hardwood flooring? Spinning classes for a year? (Not so cheap, btw) A maid? A man?

Geez - Merry Christmas everyone!