A Christmas Gift From Lennie

Posted on December 22, 2015 under Storytelling with one comment

Lennie x 2

Dave Brosha Photo

“What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.

What if Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”

Dr. Seuss – How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Finding the perfect gift for Christmas is challenging at the best of times, even when shopping is your thing. So you can only imagine the magnitude of the task if you are a known “non-shopper”.   Nothing in this world is impossible, but a man buying a Christmas gift for his wife is climbing the Everest of shopping.  Few dare to go there … and never without guidance from a Sherpa!

Early on in our marriage I tried my hand at buying gifts for my wife but I quickly discovered that I lacked good taste and sound judgement. Some men are extremely brave and will surprise a spouse on Christmas morning.  I was told that not all surprises are good.

So, once the toy phase was over, we evolved into a family that isn’t particularly “gifty”. That is to say, not in the usual sense of the word.  For reasons that most families face, we found that our priorities and resources weren’t always in synch.  The season of giving became a year round effort to use our own gifts – music, art, writing, humour, and advocacy – whenever and however we could.  Christmas was, and still is, a time to slow down and spend time with family and friends.  We wrap modest presents for the youngsters and the elders in the family.  Beyond that, our offerings are not always tangible and can show up anytime!

So even though I long ago gave up even thinking about buying a Christmas gift for the missus, there is always a smidgen of guilt every year.   Except the time I hit the jackpot.  Back in the 90’s, Lennie Gallant wrote a song called “Peter’s Dream”. And even though he had written many splendid songs prior to this (and since!), this one quickly became my wife’s favorite song of all time.

One night, after consuming a rum and eggnog, I came up with the idea to have the kids learn this song and perform it for Betty on Christmas morning. You all know how hard it is for young children to keep something secret.  Combine this with finding the time to practice when she wasn’t in the house made the task extra difficult.  Slowly everything came together and Christmas morning arrived.

The kids were up early (very early!). We had decided that they would perform the song before opening their presents.  Before Betty had a chance to even peek out from under the covers, there they were, lined up at the end of the bed.  They sang beautifully in three part harmony and when it was over, she claimed that it was the best present ever.  Even better than the spatulas and wooden spoons that I had given to her on our very first Joyous Noel.

I recently bumped into Lennie at a restaurant in Charlottetown and relayed this story to him. He was visibly touched.  Little did he know that he was the best gift my wife had ever received.

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that touch the heart … but not the wallet!

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