The Holiday Season is such a fun heartwarming time of year. A time of good cheer, not a time of danger to your marriage. Picking out gifts for family members and friends is creative and fun. It’s a challenge to find just the right thing and then all of a sudden you have a whole pile of “just the right thing.” And that pile just gets bigger, but how did that happen? May the following story be a warning to those of you who are happily married.
Last year we were spending Christmas in California. First we’d spend Christmas Eve and part of 
Christmas Day with our daughter and the twins. Then after gifts were opened, we’d head to our son’s house, four hours away and spend it with our two grandsons. We were going to drive as I had all the gifts for everyone gathered in the guest room. I’d had a good time shopping and found all sorts of just perfect gifts which soon became a big pile taking up more space than they should have in the guest room. The night before we left, Tom wanted to pack the car so we could get an early start in the morning.
“What is all of this!” he shouted in dismay, “All of these wouldn’t even fit into Santa’s sleigh!”
Those dreamy blue eyes were full of fury, I left that room in a great big hurry.
Yes I went overboard a wee tiny bit But he didn’t need to throw such a big hissy fit
“We’ll need two cars!” he sputtered and fumed. But he started carrying gifts from the room.
He got it packed, everything fit, Although we barely had room to sit.
Next year he said, each kid gets just two, I’m making a spreadsheet to send to you.
So I said those words he was desperate to hear, Those two little words, “Yes dear.”
Oh the stress! Does any of this sound familiar? It’s really hard to buy just two gifts each for our 
adorable, deserving grandchildren, You find the perfect two gifts and buy them and then something even more perfect comes along. Then what do you do? Take a chance on the fury again or just stop. I stopped at three, which I thought was a perfect compromise.
Has this ever happened to you or am I the only one to bust budgets? By the way, what budget? Do you actually have one? How does that work!
Stevie Writes 
Nature sort of renders all this meaningless. The kids get older and so do the grandparents. The distance gets longer and the larger children’s needs and wants change. The love and caring stays the same but how to satisfy those respective needs changes the nature of the gifts. I guess the gifts of love and time spent are always meaningful, perhaps in the form of a regular letter. Eventually money helps bridge the gap between their young and rapidly expanding minds and needs and grandparent’s valiant attempts to keep up. Enjoy these years and assure Tom he won’t have to endure the same situation forever and in fact I can almost guarantee next year will be different.
Very meaningful sentiment Phil. Thank you.
I say ship them ahead, he’ll never know how many… ;-D
I love that idea!
I know you better. You just can’t stop at three! Please post again, closer to Christmas! Haha! Merry Christmas!
You’re right, I should post closer to Christmas! I am really, really trying…
So easy to do when one has young children/loved ones in their lives. My only question ( here comes the Grinch) can they park their car/cars in the garage or is it filled with “stuff” they don’t use or haven’t looked at in years? If they can’t, I side with Tom. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Yes, all those perfect gifts are nowhere to be seen. Even I can’t remember what I got them! I have also sided with Tom and learned my lesson. Have a wonderful Christmas!