A Perfect Gift

"Got Kids?" She asked me. "Yes, I've got kids. Four of them." I responded. The friendly question interrupted our search for sheets that matched iron man comforters. The woman and her husband were seeking expert advice on a toy they were considering as a gift for a 10 year old nephew.

I surveyed the bobbing heads clustered around me and pointed out my 10 year Joshua as the expert. They both asked several questions, and I smiled at their intensity: "Is this a cool toy?" "Would you want this as a gift?" "Do you have something like this already?" Joshua was agreeable and said the robot growing lab kit looked like a fun toy. The brightness in his blue eyes said, "I wonder if they're going to give this to me." Can you imagine waving a strawberry ice cream cone in front of a kid, asking him if it's his favorite flavor, only to walk away and give it to someone else? Thankfully, Joshua was old enough to keep his wits about him.

Isn't it fun to watch a child open the perfect gift and hear him squeal with delight? In the movie Radio, the man whose mind is trapped in perpetual childhood dances for joy each time he receives a radio as a gift. One of my children is happiest when she adds a new stuffed dog to her collection. Each dog gets a name and is told how he is related to the others. My sons are thrilled with anything they can throw, swing or hit. Life is full of simple pleasures.

What makes me happy to receive? The gifts from my children make me dance inside: a song she plays on the piano, a super big hug, a colored picture, droopy wild flowers, a lost tooth with a note to the tooth fairy. Those are just a few of my favorite things.