I spent my day wrapping presents for friends, family, and Max, of course. It’s weird, I have got him quite a few gifts, but none of them really seem perfect. I hope I can find that perfect present before I find my way to Toronto.
I have received quite a few gifts in my life that were perfect, from the very expensive to the very cheap. I was thinking about them as I wrapped the presents, and I think I will list them here. From most expensive to least:
My Education
When I decided I wanted to go to UBC I knew the price tag was more than a little steep. At $20,000+ a year, I knew I would be putting my parents and myself into aboutl $100,000 of debt by the end of my degree. My parents could have easily told me no. They could have told me to go to the only other school I got into, Cal State Monterey Bay, which was cheaper, but not at all for me. Instead they supported me, they shouldered the debt, and they asked I do the best I can. For this I am incredibly grateful, and though I know I will be paying off this education for a good part of my life, I am thankful for the chance to attend my dream school.
My First Laptop
I got my first laptop from my dad for Christmas when I was still in high school. I remember I had received less presents than the rest of the family and I was worried that something was wrong. Then they pulled out the box, which was hidden behind some other presents, and told me to open it last. I was so shocked when I realized what it was, which doesn’t happen to me very much, as I tend to ruin my surprises.
My Tiffany’s Heart Bracelet
I got this from Max last year for our first Christmas together. It is one of those shiny silver heart bracelets from Tiffany’s that feel heavy and cool on your wrist. I had never gotten jewelery from a boy, and it made me so giddy. Granted, I didn’t realize what it was, even though it was in a tiny blue box with white ribbon…sometimes I make a terrible girl. I still wear the bracelet almost every day.
My MacGyver Toolbox
I got this as a graduation gift from a friend who refers to herself as the Female MacGyver. It is a toolbox filled with everything from a turkey baster to tube socks to paper clips. This has come in handy more than I ever guessed it would, especially in dorm life. We have used the turkey baster during a dishwasher flood, the paper clips to fix the toilet and hold up the cuffs of my jeans when it rains, and the tube socks to keep our feet warm when the heating cuts out. Clearly a lot of thought and effort was put into this gift, and I am incredibly thankful for it.
My Rainy Day Books
I came up with the idea of a Rainy Day Book when I was compiling a list for my birthday. I needed something to remember my friends by as I moved across the globe. A Rainy Day Book is something someone else makes for you, usually a notebook or journal, filled with pictures, poems, quotes, drawings, anything creative to remind you of the time you spent together. It is called a Rainy Day Book because you can look at it when you are sad and missing that person to cheer you up again. So far I have recieved three such books and I treasure them dearly.
Coloring Books
Ever since I can remember, my grandma has included a coloring book and crayons in my Christmas stocking. It is always a generic coloring book, with pictures of cartoon fish and dogs and such, and I love coloring in it. This is a tradition that makes me smile, one I plan to carry on to my own kids when the time comes along.
Really, every gift I recieve is special in its own right. These are just a handful of the ones that made me smile, ones I still cherish and remind me of the person who gave them to me. I hope this holiday yeilds more of the same.