Many like to believe they are good at giving gifts. I'm sure many are, but I think I can present a strong case that few are better than me.
Take for instance 2017. In Korea, Thanksgiving (Chuseok) is a much bigger holiday than Christmas. We get three days off for Chuseok and one day for Christmas. As a lunar event, Chuseok usually occurs in late September which is followed by another holiday on October 1st. It is possible then to have 5 days in a row off, one day back, and then another 3 days off depending on the calendar. I usually stay in Seoul, but that year for reasons that are not really interesting, I was emotionally drained and needed a break. So I made a last minute decision to visit a dear friend and his family in Paris.
That trip to Paris was perfect except for one issue. My first day in Paris was also my daughter's birthday. I had thought about flying her to Paris, but she was still in college and the U.S. does not celebrate Chuseok (it's the thought that counts). I also don't have that kind of money, so I did the next best thing and called her on her birthday.
"Happy Birthday! from Paris."
"You *$-*%! You #&&# __ *$$*%! I'm studying for midterms and you are in Paris?"
I may not have gotten the phrasing just right, but I do remember that she was overcome with emotion. Indeed, this is a gift that keeps giving as it is still mentioned in nearly all of our conversations since then.
Of course, there is a problem with being such a good gift giver; you have to do it every year. This can get quite stressful. Fortunately, my Father once told me that you should always give a gift you like. That way at least one person will like it when it is opened. Brilliant.
This brings us to 2023. For the past couple of years my daughter has participated in a football pool where you pick one NFL team each week. If that team loses you get a strike. Two strikes and you're out. The caveat is that you can only pick a team once all year. So, if you choose the Chiefs in week 1, you can't pick them for the rest of the season.
It has been a real joy watching my daughter evolve from picking teams based on their jersey color to studying the injury reports and betting lines. She went from Alice in Wonderland to Jimmy the Greek in just over a year. Sadly, both methods have their flaws. Last year she picked the Jags and they lost. This year she again picked the Jags (as two touchdown favorites - her words) and they lost. Her second strike came on Thanksgiving.
"Who picks the Lions on Thanksgiving Day?", I asked.
"They are 2 touchdown favorites."
Needless to say the Lions lost on Thanksgiving Day (it's a tradition) handing my daughter her second strike and ending all interest in the 2023 NFL season.
My daughter is very smart and successful. However, one of the few traits she picked up from me was a real joy in complaining about their team be it football, baseball, basketball, etc. And so while her interest in football ended, her complaining about the Jags did not.
A few days before Christmas, my daughter received an email that her Christmas present would be arriving soon. When you find that perfect gift, you just get all warm inside. It's a wonderful feeling.
I woke up to the following text:
'You *%$!! A Jags jersey and a Lions jersey? Next time just go to France as my present.'
Oh, the Christmas Joy! I could feel it even on the other side of the planet.
The Joy is in the giving.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
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