Christmas presents

You know, they really are important.
It is truly the thought that counts--the perfect present (though rare, they do exist) demonstrates that someone thinks about you. Not just in the "oh, there she is, what's she up to now?" sort of thinking about you--but in the sense of compassionate recognition of you as a person. When you receive one of those presents, it is as if someone took your hand in a dark room.
Remember my Advent tragedy? The destroyed Christmas book collection? Secretly, Kit went on Ebay and got into a bidding war to replace my beloved Night Before Christmas book. So on Christmas Eve I opened a package to see the familiar Eloise Wilkins cover, the 25 cent price in the upper right hand corner, the Golden Book spine. I gasped, and said "how did you do this????" thinking for an instant that she had somehow restored the original book.
Then I realized this was a different book, in much better condition, and that I had been privileged to receive one of those perfect presents.
How lucky I am to have a daughter who could reach far back into time and empathize with the little girl who became her mom, who cared enough to restore that child's treasure. A perfect gift.
A very happy Christmas.