I just woke up to the "morning after." The presents are all open, the boxes and wrappings in recycling, one pink troll to exchange for something like a puppy or a cow or whatever strikes Elena's fancy.
Then I drove to my favorite coke spot, as always, and the sweet woman at the window gave me my usual larger-than-asked-for coke with a smile on her face, as always, called me "Mama" as always, wiped it clean on the outside, and we chatted about Christmas. I asked her if she had finished her Christmas shopping for the boys and she said no, and I said well, you still have a few days left. Without changing her expression, she said, "I'm working straight through til Christmas, I got two presents for each, that's all I can afford this year....But that's just the way it is."
Holidays evoke all kinds of merry and not-so-merry in the world. I chided myself for feeling bit sad that mine is over when this young woman has two little boys who would only be getting two presents this year and whose mother was working hard for those, serving cokes and burgers and smiles to people who had plenty.
I'm going to buy them some books and deliver them in the morning.
Nathan's first present were books--two novels and two books of science experiments. "Are all my presents going to be books?" he asked, trying not to look too disappointed.
But this morning, Will wrote that he heard hysterical laughter and went in to see what was happening. Nathan was reading one of the novels!
Little boys might not like books so much at first sight, but they are the gifts that keep on giving--we all know that.
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