Sock It To Me!

I've always tried to pick out special items to give my friends and family at Christmas. I'll admit it isn't always easy. Let's take, for instance, my sons. They're both into music and movies. I would never be able to select either of these for my sons. We’re talking about thousands and thousands of movies; thousands of CDs. If I need a movie or a CD, I just ask and they loan them to me.  

So, when someone studies another person enough to know what they might want or need for Christmas and then makes a purchase of that special item for them, then that person really feels loved.  

Let's face it - that's not always easy.  

So many of my friends and family have just about everything that they want or need. Like one of my dear, dear friends said when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas, “Only give me something I could eat or drink.” Now that's easy shopping, isn't it?  

By this time in our lives, we want to be getting rid of our baggage, not collecting more.  

Early in my marriage, I tried not to make a difference between my mom and my mother-in-law when it came to exchanging gifts. If I made my mom a dress, I made my mother-in-law a dress. My mother was always so gracious when I gave her ANYTHING! My mother-in-law – well, let's just say I could not always read her quite as easily as I could read my mother.  

Except when she was aggravated with me - which seemed to be quite often.  

This particular Christmas, we had joined my in-laws at their house for Christmas dinner and after our delicious feast, we gathered in the living room to exchange gifts! Everyone quickly tore into each gift with so much excitement, wrapping paper flew everywhere. Everyone was almost finished and was curled up in a comfy chair thinking we were finished. 

I really didn't care that no present was passed to me because my mother-in-law and I had very different tastes. Then a small package was handed to me. “Oh,” I thought, "I was remembered.” I open my “present” to reveal... a pair of socks. 

And they weren't even pretty socks.  

The room was quiet with most eyes on me. “Well, thank you so much,” I said as I really didn't know how else to respond. It was one of those times when you know you had been set up and my response was really important at that moment. I also knew and that for whatever reason my mother-in-law was upset with me for some reason and this was her way to get back at me.  

Talking about uncomfortable, I was!  

We sat around with the rest of the family for a few hours, gathered up our gifts, exchange goodbyes and headed home.  

Our trip on the way home—you could have heard a pin drop and finally, David broke the silence and said, “I don't know what gets into her.” I just shrug my shoulders because I didn't know what to say. Imagine me not knowing what to say! Haha!  

No, I did not give her a pair of socks the next Christmas! I still tried to make it special for her. And I'm glad I did. It would have been petty on my part if I had responded any other way.  

Let's always remember what's really important during the holidays. Things may not always go as planned but sometimes we have to make the best of a bad situation. Like Judy Carne from Laugh-In used to say... 

Sock-It-To-Me! 

Sock-It-To-Me! 

Sock-It-To-Me! 

~ Jeannie Joyner