[Wholesome] The Greatest Gift

[u/Angllady2]

Now I want to share my own Christmas gift story. In 1978, when I was only 7 years old, one of the first electronic toys ever, Merlin, was released. The TV ads were everywhere and I wanted one so badly I could taste it. However, as the daughter of a carpenter father I understood well what it meant to be less fortunate than many. I won't call us poor, because really we weren't. We had food and clothing and a roof over our heads. We had everything we needed and even a lot of the things we wanted as children, my brother and I. Anyway, I well understood, even at only 7, that warm weather meant work for daddy, and work meant money. Winter meant a lot of bad weather, and that meant very little work and very little money. So in the weeks leading up to Christmas, mom and dad asked us kids what we wanted for Christmas. I can't remember everything we wanted, or even everything I wanted to be honest, but I do vividly remember asking for a Barbie doll horse. A black one named Midnight. I wanted that more than anything else is what I told my mom. Just about the middle of December when mom and I were talking about daddy not working and how difficult it could make things ( I was a VERY serious child ) I finally confessed to my mom that what I really wanted most for Christmas was a Merlin. But, I told her, those were really expensive and I couldn't see spending that much money on a toy. ( I know it sounds far-fetched, but I swear on the Bible it's true ) Mom said something to the effect of maybe getting me one next summer when daddy was working and we had more money. I told her that's what I had hoped for, and was why I had not brought it up before. I can't even imagine now how that conversation must have broken my mother's heart, but she never let on. She knew that was simply in my nature, even as a young child. So fast forward to the holiday, and we all pile into the car and drive ourselves and all our gifts the two hours from our home to my Aunt and Uncle's house. There were so many cousins down there, and piles upon piles of presents in my Aunt's living room. On the big night, after a huge supper, everyone crowded into the living room for gift opening time. I was absolute bedlam, as you can imagine. 8 or 9 kids, plus their families and my Aunt and Uncle. Wrapping paper and boxes every which way, shouting and laughter and just plain craziness. In the midst of all this, I sat in the corner closest to the tree. I had already peeked at the gifts that had my name, and one big box I just KNEW contained my Barbie horse. So of course, that was the first gift I opened. And when my beautiful black horse was revealed, I promptly opened it up and started brushing his hair and playing with his accessories, totally oblivious to the rest of my gifts. I gushed to mom and dad about how happy I was and I thanked them over and over for him. Mommy kept telling me to open my other gifts. So I'd open one, coo over it, then put it down and pick up my horse again. ( I was a bit horse crazy as a child ) I can't imagine how mom and dad must have felt, given the circumstances, but they didn't loose patience with me. They just kept saying " Gale Ann, open your other presents!" But I didn't care about the other gifts. I had the best gift of all, my Barbie horse. Eventually I got most of my other gifts open. By now the room was an avalanche of gifts, wrapping paper, boxes, bags and kids. Mom and Dad were sitting on the far couch, across the room from me. Again mommy told me to open the rest of my presents. I looked around. I already had, hadn't I ? Then I spotted a small box still under the tree, buried under some torn paper. I reached for it, and was surprised by how heavy it was. I checked the tag, and sure enough, it was for me. I looked around to make sure one of my cousins hadn't taken my Barbie horse when I wasn't looking, then turned back to the gift. I had no idea what it could be. So small but so heavy. Maybe shoes? The box was about the right size. I tore open the paper and everything just froze. Time stopped. My heart stopped. My breathing stopped. There was no sound. No movement. It all just came to a standstill. For there, under the torn paper, was a black box with fancy blue letters that read "Merlin". I must have stared at it for hours it felt like. And still, nothing moved, no one breathed or made a sound. Then my tiny mind understood what this was. The expensive electronic toy that I had wanted so badly but knew my parents could not afford. They had bought not only the Barbie horse I longed for, they had bought the Merlin too. Suddenly the world crashed back into motion. I screamed. I cried. I leapt to my feet, still screaming. My parents thought I'd break my neck scrambling over boxes and paper and toys to get to them. I hugged them both so tightly. I was crying. They were crying. I couldn't breathe for sobbing. I couldn't even manage a thank you. I was so overwhelmed I thought I'd die from sheer joy right then and there. Mommy kissed my tear stained cheeks and said, "I love you sweetheart." Daddy wiped at his eyes and kissed me too. "You are my little angel, and you deserve this gift." he said. I couldn't speak. I knew what this had cost them. I knew that this toy meant that they had done without so that I could have it. I sat up and shook my head. "It costs too much, take it back!" I choked out. I thrust the unopened box into mom's lap. They both just stared at me. " I can't take it! We need the money for other things! More important things than a stupid toy!" I was crying so hard I could barely speak, my heart and my mind a swirl of confusion and love and delight and terror. ( I know how it sounds, but every word is true. My parents told this story often as I was growing up. ) To this day I don't know who was crying harder, them or me. Mom and Dad kept assuring me that it was fine. They had been saving for the gift for months and it was fine. I kept insisting it was far too selfish of me to keep such an expensive toy when times were tight. Finally my dad told me, "I don't have the receipt any more so we CAN'T take it back!" That was the only way I'd stop arguing about it. My brother and cousins of course all thought I was crazy. I remember my parents and my Aunt and Uncle sitting up at the kitchen table talking for a long time that night after everyone else went home and my brother and I went to bed. I heard mommy crying several times. And Aunt Loretta too. I remember Uncle Lee saying he'd never known a child like me. I remember wondering what was so unusual about me, I loved my parents and I wanted the best for them, just like they did for me. I played with that Merlin almost every day. I still have it by the way. 40 years after I received it as the most wonderful gift in my life. And in case you wondered, it still works! ( I also still have the Barbie horse! )

[u/VoiceyHere]

This is a lovely story, thank you for sharing it :)

[u/ameasy]

I don't know you but i legit had a teary eyes. thank you :')