“Merry Christmas,” my husband says and hands me a large box.
I tear into the wrapping paper, wondering what in the world this could be. I’d already received all the items from my wish list: a steam cleaner, a lightbox, and a subscription to Our State magazine. This gift was going to be a total surprise.
Pulling the final pieces of tape off, I open the box flaps and stare inside, incredulous. “It’s a…goose?”
I look up to find my family looking expectantly at me. “It’s the one you wanted,” my husband explains. “The one we saw at the store in Blowing Rock.”
And that’s when I start laughing
Several Months Earlier
We are visiting our daughter who attends Appalachian State University in Boone (And whose 21st birthday is today. Happy birthday, Mils! Love you!!!). As we often do when we visit, we make the 20 minute trek down the road to visit Blowing Rock, a quaint little town in the Blue Ridge Mountains (fans of Jan Karon’s Mitford series will also recognize it as the town where she began writing of Father Tim and his adventures). We stop into one of the many home decor shops, where I remark on the cute wooden ducks strewn throughout the store. Standing about 8 inches high, the ducks are meant to be displayed either as standalones, or in one of the many colorful outfits the store also sells.
“These are adorable,” I remark to my husband.
Smash cut to Christmas morning and a two foot tall plastic goose staring at me.
My husband and daughter stare at me, then each other. “Is this …not right?” they ask.
The story comes out: After my offhand remark, Patrick texted Millie and asked her to purchase the duck. Along the way, wires got crossed.
At this point, Patrick then mentions the outfits. The outfits?! Not only had they ordered the duck/goose, but they’d ordered outfits as well.
Was this the duck I originally admired? No.
Was this a gift I’d expected? No.
Is the real gift the time and energy my family put into thinking about me and working together to find the perfect gift? Absolutely.
It wasn’t on my list, or even a thought in my mind, but it’s the best gift I could have received.
Her name is Gladys, the Christmas Goose. And I love her.
