Christmas means presents and it started me thinking about Christmases past and what some of the reasons might be as to why some stand out over others.  I remember one Christmas when we had so much snow, that travel to church was impossible, and so was getting together with our extended families.  While I was grateful for everyone being safe, Christmas was just not the same without sharing Christmas with our families.  Other Christmases were special because we were able to be together for all the Christmas sharing.  Gifts received are a large part of Christmas memories.  I posed this thought to friends and family, asking them to recall and briefly share what Christmas gift was extra special to them.  These are their stories:

“The present that leaps to my mind, was the last gift I received as a believer in Santa.  I was in 6th grade and got a refurbished two-wheel bike under the tree.  It had been painted white as I recall and had a hot pink saddle bag on the back.  Very happening!  And I think half of the reason it was my favorite was because it was the year I began to understand the work and trouble “Santa” had gone to, to give me this very special gift.  I must have come downstairs a dozen times before dawn to see if it was real.  I can still hear the footsteps of the eight tiny reindeer on the roof...”

“My best present was my own telephone for my bedroom!”  (Mom and Dad later questioned their decision to give this gift, because there were many arguments over being on the phone too much!  This was before there was “call waiting”!)

“My transistor radio when I was in the 7^th grade; I love listening to music! Years later my kids got me a small stereo for using while I cook in my kitchen.  I play music on it every single day!”

“My favorite present was a transistor radio I received in 1960 as a fourth grader.  Dad was driving truck out of the coal mines in PA.  He hands were cracked and bloody from the cold and the coal dust.  Dad and Mom had little money.  They gave me the radio that Christmas.  I still have it.”

“My favorite present was probably my first CD player...a gift from my children....at least 12 - 15 years ago....and a brass-toned 3 ft. outdoor angel from my husband, 3-4 years ago....”

“It was probably my Chatty Cathy doll - Mom said it was something I really wanted.  Years later she told me how she sacrificed so I could have it.”      

 “I think my favorite Christmas present was when my brother and I were 12 and 14, and we got our, one and only, 2-wheel bicycles.  That was exciting for sure!  Our grandkids can't believe that we only got one in our lifetime, as they have had numerous bikes already. “ 

“A cowboy suit!”

“My electric train set!”

“Ok, this sounds crazy, but the first thing that popped into my head was my Barbie dream house. I was so excited I got it, but then when dad went to put it together, a bunch of pieces were missing and it would not go together. Mom called the company and got them to send us the missing pieces to fix it and then dad finally was able to put it together.”

“When I was a kid, we always got together with my dad's family on Christmas Eve, usually at his sister's house.  One year when I was 9 or10, I was sick and we couldn't go. My Aunt who lived a ways from us, came to our house before she went home after dinner, to bring me my gift ~~ a small, fuzzy, yellow rug to go by my bed in the shape of a kitten. It really wasn't so much the gift, as the fact that she delivered it, even though I was sick.” 

“I was probably in third or fourth grade.  I remember my aunt bringing a bunch of new coats to our house for us to choose the one we liked.  I don't know what store she got them from, but I was really impressed that they would let her take them all to show them to us.  My mom was raising us by herself and money was scarce.  My aunt did stuff like this for us all the time. “

“I believe my favorite present was a spinning wheel that my parents got me when I was little.  You could actually spin yarn and make things with it.  As I remember, I made these long scarf-like items that nobody wanted to wear.  I had fun with it.  Usually, though, I received guns and fire trucks. I actually have a picture of a fire truck I got.  Apparently being the 4th girl, who should have been a boy and wasn't, I guess they decided to pretend.”

"My favorite Christmas present was a little play piano.  I really wanted to learn to play the piano but we didn't have the money to buy one.  My grandmother owned the local Pharmacy and she got this little piano for me.  I used to play along with records and sing to my heart’s content.  What wonderful memories!"

 “THE MOST IMPORTANT CHRISTMAS PRESENT..OUR MIDDLE SON, BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1965...TALK ABOUT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT!”

 “The first Christmas my husband and I were married, he gave me a brick ~ and around the brick was an opal necklace.  The fact that I found a 'keeper' is the best present ever and the necklace is still my favorite.”

“My favorite Christmas present was made by our son when he was in kindergarten.  It was a glue stick with glitter to hang on the tree.”

My favorite present was a diamond and sapphire ring.  Why? I love jewelry (especially when I don't have to buy it)!

“My favorite Christmas present would probably be the year my husband bought me 1/2 carat diamond stud earrings.  Why they were so special is

1) I had never asked for them and

2) he went to 3 different stores to get the best value!

I was so shocked and I told him he was good for the next 10 yrs for gifts!  It was so wonderful and showed me how much he cared.” 

“It sounds strange, but I can't remember many Christmas presents I've received.  However, one Christmas, I did receive an unexpected gift from a casual friend.  He sensed that I was feeling down, so out of the blue he sent me a holiday arrangement with silk flowers and candles.  Although I don't have much contact with him anymore, and several years have passed, I still have the arrangement and bring it out at Christmas.”

“The best Christmas present I ever got was from my boys a few years ago.  It was the Christmas music from Walter Brennan.  They got it for me because I remembered listening to it when I was growing up. When they gave it to me, it was like being a child again!  What a wonderful thought!”

“A gift certificate to a book store is always a favorite because reading is the most relaxing thing that calms me.”

“My Digital Rebel camera is my favorite gift -  it lets me express my creativity!”

“Our first microwave and later my big screen TV were special Christmas presents - football is so much more fun to watch on the big screen!  But the best present was a second diamond engagement ring.  I was devastated the day I discovered the diamond had fallen out of my engagement ring and was no-where to be found.  My husband said we should replace it and so we began going to jewelry stores…my heart just wasn’t in it, partly because I had recently received a scary diagnosis and wasn’t sure I’d even be around… and partly because the romantic in me just wanted my husband to pick something out and surprise me with it – like he did years ago when he asked me to marry him.  Well, he didn’t do it that Christmas and so I just kind of gave up on the whole idea.  However, the following Christmas, when the 2 of us were alone, he gave me this wonderful little jewelry box!  Ta Da!  It was a beautiful diamond!”

“This might be too racy to be shared but.......... I'll never forget the Christmas Eve my hubby gave me a total surprise......in front of our warm fireplace was a new cozy sheep skin rug, a bottle of chilled wine, two wine glasses and a sexy red nightgown......that is not the end of the story, but it’s all I'm telling!”

 "The greatest present isn't found under the tree; it's in the warm smiles and loving words of the people around us..."

“I was thinking about your question about the best Christmas present.  Several things came to mind:  the Christmas I got my walking doll, the Christmas we got our Kodak camera, the Christmas I was in love, the first Christmas for each of our babies, the real tree we had last year… Lots of Christmases go by with no special gifts and nothing special to remember.
Think about this.... What if "This Christmas" was the best Christmas of the rest of your life?!  No one knows what the future (or the next second) will bring.  A family I know was so relieved that their daughter had safely returned from the war, only to be killed in a car accident a few months later…

Cherish every minute with everyone you know and love – this is a gift that money can't buy!”