“Are
we doing letter gifts this year?”
It’s December and a bit late
in the season to be going out to buy more presents. If we remember, than we
remember, If we don’t, we don’t.
“Of
course!” My mom exclaimed. She enjoys family traditions the most.
My
sister, Heidi, went to work. She is the practical one.
Heidi
grabbed paper, pencil, scissors, and two hats. She wrote the alphabet on the
paper. She cut out each individual letter, and sprinkled them into the hat. She
wrote down the names of everyone in the immediate family; Jess, Joe, Mom, Dad,
and Heidi. She cut these out also, and then sprinkled them in hat number two.
She
danced around the house, “Pick your names! Pick your names!” Mom was in the
kitchen, mulling over a cookie recipe. Dad was in the living room watching a
show on his laptop. I sat on the couch reading a book. Jess was on her laptop
also, doing “college stuff.”
We
all picked our names as Heidi came up to us. Jess and I rolled our eyes at each
other as Heidi hopped from one person to another, overly excited.
“Now
pick your letters!” Heidi pronounced, grabbing the other hat and giving the
letters one last mix.
We
picked our letters. My person was Dad, and my letters were “S” and “T.” I had
to make sure nobody knew who I had. Jess always found out somehow. I had to
make sure this year she didn’t. I put the letters in my wallet so I would
remember which ones I picked.
Throughout
the next couple of weeks everyone shopped presents. The presents had to start
with the letters they picked. It’s hard to maneuver when and where to go
shopping, especially when I can’t drive yet. I can’t go with my dad, for
obvious reasons, and I don’t want Jess to know either, because she always finds
out somehow. That leaves my mom and Heidi. Heidi can’t keep a secret. I end up
telling my mom. She won’t tell anyone.
I
say, “Can you take me to the mall? I need to shop for my letter present.”
“Sure,
Sure. Who do you have? I won’t tell.”
“Why
do you want to know?”
“I
just want to help.”
“Okay
fine, but don’t tell anyone. I have dad, and my letters are ‘S’ and ‘T.’ What
should I get him?”
“Oh
don’t worry I won’t, and I don’t know that’s a tough one. We’ll figure
something out.”
Christmas
Eve comes fast. My Grandma comes over and the smell of welsh cookies on the skillet
fills the air. The fire is going in the fire place. My dad is putting the
finishing touches on the Christmas tree. My two sisters and I are sitting on
the couch ready to open our letter presents.
“Are
you guys ready yet?” One of us yells out every couple of minutes. We are
growing impatient. Our letter presents we open tonight, and tomorrow we open
the rest. It helps to curb the excitement for the Christmas morning presents.
We sleep a lot better this way.
The
adults filter in one at a time and give us our presents, but we don’t open them
yet. Jess guesses who we all had to buy presents for. We reveal that she was
right one by one. Then my mom says to go ahead and open them, and we do. We all
tell each other what letters we had, and the presents are goofy because they
had to start with letters like “X” and “Q.” It’s all so much fun.
We
sit on the couch into the late hours of the night watching Christmas movies and
eating fudge and welsh cookies. Then we all fall asleep when our fatigue
overcomes our anxiousness for Christmas.
