We have survived most of the “firsts” of the first year of my dad’s passing. This was the first Christmas without him. It was definitely noticeable. And different. And a little empty. But, we survived and made the best of it. We are grateful Mom is still here and doing her best to figure out her new life without Dad. She is doing a great job of adjusting in her own very quiet way. We are grateful for her loving example.

One of our Christmas traditions is for the adults to exchange gifts in the following way. They bring a gift to the Christmas Day family gathering. This is not just any gift! It is a gift that they spend at least…at the very least…10 minutes shopping for on Christmas Eve Day! Haha! Actually, that is not a “rule” but for some of the last-minute gift givers, that is just how they roll. Others in the family usually take a bit more time thinking of just the perfect gift that they feel anyone would be happy to receive.

Over the years these gifts have ranged from pots and pans, to towels or blankets, or even simply a box of chocolates with maybe a $20 or $50-dollar bill attached to the top. Some years the gifts have been flashlights or batteries in a case (never can be too prepared) or even a bubbly desktop waterfall. We never assign a “theme” for the types of gifts to purchase. The only “rule” is that the gift needs to be wrapped in foil with no fancy bows on top.

Along with the tinfoil gift, the adults bring an amount of money that is placed in a non-see-through envelope. The amounts of money have ranged over the years from 20 dollars to 100 dollars. The usual amount is $50. When the family arrives on Christmas morning, one of the first things they do after removing their coats and hats is head for the envelopes to offload the money they are carrying around in their pocket or purse. They carefully place their tinfoil gift under the Christmas tree with the others. It is fun to see the silver tinfoil become a colorful reflection of the lights on the tree.

Everyone is all a buzz with comments of how good the egg bake smells and the young people have a look of impatience, hoping the prayer of thanks for the food is said quickly, so they can fill their plates with egg bake, English muffins, and fruit. Orange juice is most often the drink of choice. It is fun to have all 21 family members, adults and children, surrounding the several smaller tables pushed together to make one long table. The happy sound of eating and laughter warms my heart as I look around the table, taking in the sights and sounds of our yearly Christmas brunch.

Soon after, the dishes are cleared from the tables, which are pushed to the side of the room to make room for our circle of chairs. The gifts are pulled out from under the tree and handed out to the children whose smiles could not be brighter! It is a joyous occasion to watch as the children (teens included) open their gifts and the younger ones exclaim in delight at the new toys and games they have received. The teens were excited to see their tickets to the movie theater and a little money for popcorn, treats, and drinks, from Grandma and Grandpa. I thought they might go to the movies that afternoon, but they opted to stay and play games with us adults instead.

Fourteen adults and one highschooler participated in our tinfoil gift exchange this year. Paper was torn into 14 small pieces and each was numbered individually from 1 to 14 and placed in a small bowl. The gifts were placed in the center of the circle where we could eye the perfect one we hoped would still be available to choose when our number came up. This year my number was 6 which I picked from the bowl as my niece took it around the room from adult to adult so each could choose a number, which would dictate the order in which we could choose a gift from the pile. My husband picked number 9. We had a brief banter about which of us was really holding number 9 and which one was holding number 6. Mine was definitely number 6! *wink wink*

When it was my turn to choose an envelope and then a gift from the middle of the room, I chose a puffy envelope and an oblong gift, which rattled a little when I picked it up. Two of our granddaughters looked at each other and laughed as I carried it back to my chair. Looking at my granddaughters, I shook it gently and said it sounds like wooden pieces. They both looked at each other and laughed. Our oldest granddaughter is 23 and the other one who was laughing with her is her sister who is 17 and a senior in high school. She decided it was time to join the adult gift exchange this year since she is a senior.

Well, the only other gifts I remember seeing after I opened my gift was that there were a few gift cards to grocery stores…and, truly, I do not remember a single other gift! Mine was the best gift I have ever, ever EVER received! (OK, maybe not EVER, but it is definitely a favorite!) When I opened my gift, my granddaughters started to laugh out loud. It took me a minute to figure out what it was. And, when I figured it out, I couldn’t believe it! It was a BIDET attachment for the toilet. I was so excited! It might sound silly, but I have always wanted a Bidet and wondered why Americans are taking so long to implement such an amazing invention.

My husband installed the Bidet for me yesterday. My only question about it is…WHY did we not purchase one of these a LONG TIME AGO?! Our grandchildren thought they were being funny, but in the end it truly was one of the best gifts they could have gotten…at least for me! Well, I guess, I do have one more question: Where is the WARM water attachment? That will be the next item on our list of things to purchase in the near future. Bidets are nice, but I would guess, WARM water Bidets are even nicer.

Happy New Year’s Eve!!