Parents are always hard to buy Christmas gifts for,
right? Every year I would ask Scott, “What
should we get your parents for Christmas?” and he would never respond with
anything helpful. So he’d go directly to
the source and ask and their reply would always be “Nothing” or “Just for you
kids to come visit”, or “a Chicken Pot Pie”.
It made me feel good that they loved my chicken pot pie, but I’m the
kind of person who likes to be creative in my gift giving; to give them a pot
pie every year just didn’t make me feel all happy inside.
Several years ago I was struck with inspiration! Technically, neither of our parents “needed”
any of the gifts we could afford to give them.
Sure the knickknacks were cute, but after a while I think they just
added to the all the stuff in their houses.
Since Scott’s parents always wanted pot pie and for us to come visit, I
decided on a Christmas gift that could incorporate both and make me feel all
happy inside too. So for Christmas 2009,
we gave Scott’s parents a year of home cooked dinners. We put together an inexpensive photo calendar
and gave them “Dinner Stickers” to mark their special dinner date. They would choose the night, and we would
bring the dinner. Wow! It turned out to be the best Christmas gift
ever! At first it started with just me dropping
off the dinner and having a short visit, but after a couple of months or so, we
discovered they wanted us to STAY for dinner!
Pretty soon our numbers increased and by halfway through the year, we
had this gift down to a science…it was our whole family (well, Scott and I and
the kids who were still at home…usually Cody and Jessica at that time) bringing
in dinner and staying to enjoy! I’ve
never cooked such good food or had such good company! And the kid’s got some priceless time and
memories spent with Grandma and Grandpa Dean.
Our Christmas gift turned out to be a gift for us!
So Christmas 2010 rolls around…I gave the gift again but
with a few menu changes BUT this year, I gave the gift to my parents too!! It’s was amazing! Finally
my kids have been able to develop a closer relationship with their Grandma and
Grandpa Maw!
Christmas 2011…you guessed it! Dinners again but this time they plan the menu
(from my list of suggestions…I have to be able to cook it!!) I have to say, it has been the best Christmas
gift ever! Perhaps I should rephrase
that…it has been the best Christmas gift for MY family because spending time
and building memories with family is the best gift ever!! And the food has been pretty good too!
So today I say, “Merry Christmas Mom and Dad Maw!! We brought dinner!!”
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