On a blustery cold day about a week before Christmas two years ago, I was in my bedroom when I heard my mother’s high pitched voice coming from downstairs. She wanted me to come downstairs and help my father put up the Christmas lights. My dad laughed with a cheesy smile as said,” we get to go out in the freezing cold while she goes to the warm mall filled with crushing crowed and spend my hard earned cash.” As my mother drove out of the graveled lined drive, and father looked out the fog filled window, he then asked me to come to the basement with him first to wrap a present for him. “It’s for your mother,“ he whispered—as if she were still there. With that, he pulled a large box out of a shopping bag and handed it to me. “What do you think?” he asked. I looked at it, stunned. I couldn’t even answer him. I was a loss for words. There, on the side of the box, was the picture of an enormous, circular mirror that was mounted on a stand with hideous light bulbs completely surrounding it. According to what was written on the box, the mirror tilted, with the reverse side offering ten times magnification. It reminded me of a performer’s dressing room mirror.
I stared at it, speechless, trying to remember if I had ever seen such an impractical gift. In fact, I considered the possibility that this was the worst gift that my father had ever chosen for my mother in the 25 years of blissful marriage. “I think she’ll get a big kick out of it“ he said. Somebody will get a kick all right, I thought, but it probably won’t be my mother.
We stared wrapping the gift and I thought to myself, why would my poor father think that my mother would want to see herself close up and magnified lines and imperfections that standout with the dozen or more lightbulbs surrounding the mirror, that she might not have seen in a regular mirror for more than twenty five years. My mom is already crazy about turning 50.’Did you get her anything else, Dad?’ I asked in a pitifully voice, hoping that if he had bought something else. “Nope, that’s it,” he answered, “I’m sure she’ll really like it.” I gulped hard, but said nothing. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. After wrapping the gift in silence, I placed it on the floor under their tree with the other gifts, and we went outside to hang the shimmery white lights over the garage.
When Christmas morning arrived, my family and I sat around the bright and colorfully lit Christmas tree. I pondered what the encounter would be when my mother opened her gift. I do think she will get a good kick out of it, or at least somebody in our family will. Our family tradition is instead of everyone tearing through their gifts at once, we have someone pass one gift at a time to one family member at a time. This way everyone can watch as they open their gifts. It was my mother’s turn to open her gift and I took a quick glare over at my father, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, smiling, drinking his steaming hot coffee. Mom tore open the gift graciously and quickly with excitement, to see what it could be. Here face lit up with enjoyment and said, “Did you see what your father got me?” I didn’t answer her at first. “Actually, I did,” I answered, “I wrapped it for him.” That’s when I thought that I was going to hear about this one. She was probably going to ask me why I didn’t tell him to return it and get her something else. Instead she said this is certainly an interesting choice of gifts. When I looked at my mother, she was smiling at my father. She didn’t seem angry or annoyed because if she was you have seen it on her face. But at that moment, the only emotion visible on her face was enjoyment. Suddenly I caught them smiling at each other and they gave a little giggle.
That afternoon my father and I watched endless football, while my mother and sister were back the kitchen preparing a twenty-plus pound golden turkey for the invited family and friends coming over that night. It was only then that something finally dawned on me. I suddenly realized that my father thought the gift was perfect for my mother, and that was the only thing that mattered to him. She on the other hand accepted the gift with pride even if she would never use it.
