Is It Really More Blessed to Give Than to Receive?

 It has long been held that giving is more fun than getting.

Obviously whoever first wrote that had never been given an iPod, or they might just have changed their mind. But when it comes to parenting, I suddenly find myself agreeing 100% (not 1000% like some idiot football manager or X-Factor judge, but still 100%).

My daughter came home from a friend’s house the other day raving about his wonderful gift that he had had for Christmas several years ago but still adored today. 

“Hmmmm” I thought, with even more m’s than I have written here. So the next time I saw friend’s mum, I asked her about the gift.

“Oh yes,” she said, “It’s wonderful.” 

“Where did you get it from?” I enquired, thinking I would nip into Brighton and pick one up for the soon-to-be-delighted Harriet.

My heart sank when I found out that they had only seen said gift in one particular shop in one particular city.

And then it leapt again when I realised that a) I was visiting that city on business in the next month or so, and b) my English teacher was wrong – I CAN start a sentence with the word ‘and’.

You can guess the rest of the story. I arrived in said city some weeks later, and traipsed around till I found the shop (ring ahead? ME? Never –  that would be far too sensible and I like a challenge).

Anyway, I bought it, they personalised it, I took it home and now I can’t wait until Christmas. Just the look on her little face will be a far better gift than all the Amusing Socks And Jumpers bought with love that I will no doubt receive.

So there’s the irony of parental giving – I will receive just as much joy from the giving of this present as Harriet will receive from opening it. I bet that I am not alone either! 

So Happy Christmas to both my readers  – as parents it’s always a poignant time for us, as we think about the child who was himself the first ever Christmas present.

I hope we may all get a moment to stop amidst the business of the season, and recall its reason!. BD x