The Perfect Gift
Well here it is the middle of December and once again I haven't done my Christmas shopping. I never know what to give people and when you ask they either say "it doesn't matter" or "nothing". I have bought enough bad gifts in my life to know that either of those responses is a lie.
One Christmas when I was a kid I bought my mother a wonderful gift. I put a lot of thought into it and really searched for the perfect gift until I was sure I had found it. A Dazey Donut maker!
She didn't have one and I knew she liked donuts. Who in their right mind doesn't like donuts? And is there anything better than a hot donut? I think not. Anyway, I purchased this unique and clever gift, lovingly wrapped it and presented it to my mother. She didn't like it. She didn't come out and say it, but we all knew she didn't like it. My sister explained that gifts should be personal...for the individual. Geez...it was a Dazey Donut Maker! That's like free donuts for life! I didn't give her a damn football or green army men. She was our cook for Pete's sake! Cook donuts, make me happy and in turn you'll be happy. It all made perfect sense.
She never made a donut with it. I promise if you asked her she'd claim she made tons of them, but I know she didn't. But I made some. It only made cake donuts. I didn't know that when I bought it. Actually I didn't know what a cake donut was nor did I care. If it had sugar on it, I would eat it. I mixed up the batter, I cooked them and I ate them. And I'm sure that I shared them even though I shouldn't have. Imagine not liking a gift like that!
So as all the years have past I have done my best to avoid that mistake again. But the urge has lingered to give her a vacuum cleaner or a nice set of ice trays.
One Christmas when I was a kid I bought my mother a wonderful gift. I put a lot of thought into it and really searched for the perfect gift until I was sure I had found it. A Dazey Donut maker!
She didn't have one and I knew she liked donuts. Who in their right mind doesn't like donuts? And is there anything better than a hot donut? I think not. Anyway, I purchased this unique and clever gift, lovingly wrapped it and presented it to my mother. She didn't like it. She didn't come out and say it, but we all knew she didn't like it. My sister explained that gifts should be personal...for the individual. Geez...it was a Dazey Donut Maker! That's like free donuts for life! I didn't give her a damn football or green army men. She was our cook for Pete's sake! Cook donuts, make me happy and in turn you'll be happy. It all made perfect sense.
She never made a donut with it. I promise if you asked her she'd claim she made tons of them, but I know she didn't. But I made some. It only made cake donuts. I didn't know that when I bought it. Actually I didn't know what a cake donut was nor did I care. If it had sugar on it, I would eat it. I mixed up the batter, I cooked them and I ate them. And I'm sure that I shared them even though I shouldn't have. Imagine not liking a gift like that!
So as all the years have past I have done my best to avoid that mistake again. But the urge has lingered to give her a vacuum cleaner or a nice set of ice trays.
Nobody had the art of gift-rejection down to a science like our paternal grandmother. Remember her very specific request for the pale yellow, all weather/raincoat with 3/4 length sleeves? We tore up the New World trying to fill this order and after the triumphant success in finding the EXACT specifications, and then presentation on Christmas Day...........it came back to haunt us the following June. "Take this thing back to the store and swap it for another one. This one is yellow and the sleeves are too short." Couldn't take it back 6 months later, so Mama just kept it for herself. I bet she even wore it while making donuts with the Dazey Donut Maker.
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