With the kids off to school and the house quiet, Diana and I finally had the time to sit down at our kitchen table for an important conference call earlier this week. Right in the middle of the conversation, her cell phone jangled with an incoming call. Diana glanced at the caller ID, smiled, then mouthed to me, “Not urgent – I’ll call back later.”
She turned off the ringer and set the phone to buzz. But the caller was nothing if not persistent. Every few minutes for the next half-hour, Diana’s cell phone buzzed, paused, and buzzed again. Then, apparently determined not to be thwarted, the caller switched to the house phone.
It was her mother.
My mother-in-law is not woman to be put off when she has news to impart. Texting isn’t her thing. She requires direct interaction. Apparently, she had information so vital that it required an all-points bulletin that morning. Finally, unable to reach Diana, she decided to call our son, a sophomore, in High School.
Moments after our phone stopped ringing up popped a text from Collin, whose History class was interrupted for this mission-critical update.
“Nani called to tell me to tell you that she got Dad a bottle of bourbon for Christmas,” his text said. “?”
To some, that scenario may seem absurd. But Diana is from Kentucky, the bourbon capital of the world. To Kentuckians, bourbon – and especially this particular brand and year of bourbon – is a matter of utmost urgency. So it is completely understandable that my mother-in-law could not risk a delay in getting this momentous message to her daughter: “The bourbon is coming, the bourbon is coming!”
‘Tis the season. Don’t believe the song blasting across the radio airwaves “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Who doesn’t love this gift-giving frenzy? Best of all is the knowledge that you’ve found just the right thing for someone important to you. When you’ve found it, you just want to share the joy.
Even our kids are beginning to realize it’s even more fun to give than to receive. “Hey, Mom,” Robbie announced brightly at dinner the other night. “I bet you can’t guess what I got you for Christmas!” He’s dying to tell her, I know. Keeping that secret till Dec. 25 will be almost impossible for a ten-year-old who is just discovering the joy of finding a perfect present for Mom. I’m betting he’ll spill it soon.
We see a lot of that eager anticipation in our stores in these last few days before Christmas. Yesterday, we had a newlywed couple looking over bedroom sets at our store in Hanover. “I love this one so so much!” I overheard the young woman say shyly to her husband. “But I think it’s a little more than our budget will allow.”
He looked at me and grinned. I suspect he’ll be back to FCG on his own this weekend to buy a present that will thrill her this Christmas. Merry Christmas to all our customers and may you experience the joy of giving to and receiving from those you love.
