The Best Gift...

Nearly a week has passed since Christmas, and as I ready myself for the coming new year, I am reminded of the best gifts I have received in the past few years. Coincidentally, the best gifts for two years running have been calendars. (I actually just posted about the use of an exercise calendar on my other blog.)

A calendar may seem like a silly thing to get excited about, but as with all gifts it is the thought that matters most. And, the beauty of a calendar is that the thought carries through to every day of the year. Last year's calendar gift came from my niece, Nina. It was a page-a-day calendar with cute little animals and silly sayings. As I opened it, my niece looked on excitedly and said, "I have one too!" My sister-in-law, Gina, gave me a smile and said, "Aunt Chelle, she said you just had to have this. That you'd love it." And, I did. I really, really did love it. That Nina and my other two nieces also had the same calendar multiplied my joy. Of course one might think it odd that a grown woman shares the same interests as a group of preteens. But, that wasn't really the point for me. What made me happiest was the thought that we would all be looking at the same calendar every morning, sharing in the same simple silliness. A few times throughout the year I brought up the calendar to Nina - "did you see the cute black dog with the football?" "Oh yeah, I love that one!" "And, the little kitten with the bottle." "That is so adorable!" It was a shared bond that I truly cherished. In addition, on a more practical note, the backside of each calendar page made a great blank canvass for my daily to-do list. It was really the gift that gave and gave.

The Yoga Cats Calendar

This year my best friend Michelle surprised me with a 2012 wall calendar. That it was purely a spontaneous, impulse-buy that she made just hours before I arrived at her house for a long overdue visit gave it even more meaning. She prefaced my opening it, similarly to Gina's. She said something like, "I don't know if you are going to like this, but I kind of felt like you just had to have it." As I gingerly unwrapped it not knowing what it could possibly be I admit I was a little fearful. But, when I pulled out the Yoga Cats Calendar, which as you can imagine included pictures of cats contorted into yoga poses, I doubled over in laughter. As Michelle described how she felt compelled to explain her purchase to the cashier by stating that she was buying it for a friend who likes yoga (long pause)...and cats, I found myself laughing so hard that I could no longer breath. Although I only get to see Michelle once or twice a year, that brief moment of uncontrolled laughter, along with her most perfect gift selection, reminded me just why we are best friends. Not that I really needed reminding. Still that calendar, which now hangs above my desk, will enable me to think of her and our constant bond every day.

Which brings me to my husband, who has been buying us a "family" calendar for the fridge for the past three years. I won't ever forget that first year when he held that gift for last. He also seemed to preface it with, "I'm not sure you are going to like this..." So, again I felt a little nervous about opening it. In his case however, he has a history of buying some pretty disappointing gifts (i.e. the purple unscented candle he bought for my birthday one year from the dollar store near his office). Yet, I was overjoyed when I tore off the paper to see a years worth of adorable little kittens staring back at me. That he was equally excited about having this display of cuteness on our refrigerator made the gift all the more meaningful. He has made this gift an annual tradition. Last year he was even able to find a calendar of all Tuxedo Cats (which is what our two furry babies happen to be).

So, while I'm not so sure everyone would appreciate the value of a calendar as a gift. I can say that for me it has been a gift that gives and gives every day of the year.

I hope your 2012 is filled with daily blessings! Happy New Year!