Saturday, December 03, 2005

Memory of the Day

Superhero Ability-to see through packages...

Yes-you read correctly. Today's report is a humorous look back at my brother Wade's ability to figure out what was in a wrapped gift without unwrapping it. He learned to lick the giftwrap paper until it became transparent. Then, much like looking through a window, he was able to see enough of the inside to make an educated guess as to the contents. Wade loved Christmas so much-it was just one of those holidays that really got him jazzed up. His enthusiasm was contagious.

But, unlike Wade, I didn't like knowing what I was going to get. I wanted it to be a surprise. One year, I saw my Barbie Camper (which was a *BIG* gift at our house) hidden in the trunk of our car. I wasn't looking for it on purpose, but saw it when Mom or Dad was unloading something else. I anticipated the fun of playing with it, but on the day of Christmas, that excitement wasn't as jump-up-and-down thrilling as if it was a surprise.

On the other hand, Wade found a way to know the outcome and use that thrill to just grow in excitement each day as Christmas approached. I'm glad he made Christmas so special at our house. He was almost like the Carlton Advent Calendar. Each day we could open the little "flap" of life and see a treat from Wade's perspective.

I still don't peek at my presents, but I do embrace Wade's love for Christmas. Christmas affords me the opportunity to be nostalgic. I'll share many of those memories over the next few weeks.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Aw, there you go again, giving away all of my trade secrets! Actually, I never felt that I got any more excited about Christmas than anyone else. As for my finding out what was in the presents, I think some years I did it more than other years, but on Christmas morning I never felt that great about knowing what was inside any particular package. I felt a small sense of guilt and regret; the best presents were always the ones that totally took me by surprise. I’m not sure when it was, but at some point I stopped doing the saliva surveillance, probably around my freshman year of high school.