friday flashback - the one with the best christmas present ever

Back when I was but a wee tot we lived in a one and a half story house in the east end of the city. What we now, affectionately, call the ghetto. And by we I mean Darlene and I, since the ghetto is now where she calls home. In our cute little house on it's cute little corner lot we had three bedrooms. My parent's room was off the dining room. I guess it was a dining room although it never saw a dining room table the entire time we lived there. On the second floor, to the left was a room for Dave over looking the front yard. To the right with a view of the back yard was my room. In between us the house's only full bathroom. Oh if only knew how many nights my Mom spent sitting on the top step waiting for the sound of Dave's feet hitting the floor, but now I'm wandering off topic.

It's safe to say my Mom enjoys Christmas. Every aspect of it as much as she can complain about it now. She loves the shopping, the baking, the gathering everyone together, but probably not the wrapping. No the wrapping doesn't enthuse her, but that may be a running out of time thing and she comes by that honestly. All this to say my Mom does Christmas up right, always has.

One year the decision was made to get Dave and I new bedding for Christmas. I know right, what kid wants bedding as a Christmas present? Now this gift had the potential of being unwrapped then tossed aside in favour of more exciting gifts like slot cars and Barbies with hair you could curl. Mom knew just how to make those comforters special. Christmas Eve while we slept, with the visions of sugar plums and what not, Mom or Dad. Or maybe even both of them climbed the stairs and replaced our old blankets with our new comforters . The Superfriends (which Abby loves to watch on Teletoon Retro) for me and Star Wars for Dave.

I don't think I can adequately explain to you how excited I was to wake up to this new blanket on my bed. Think of the implications. I mean the comforter was from Santa. So that meant Santa was in my room. While I slept. He was right there. So close and I missed it. I'm pretty sure I raved about it all day to any adult that would listen to me.

You'd probably be surprised at how often that comforter crosses my mind. Mom gave me more than a present that day. The comforter's long gone now, off for rags or what have you, but it is one of the few gifts that really stick out in my mind. I can still remember how I felt that Christmas morning over two decades ago. That is truly a gift. Thanks Mom.