Sunday 27 November 2016

A Wife’s Christmas Confession

A friend of my wife confessed her Christmas crime a few years ago. While the story is true, I have dramatized the thoughts and feelings a bit.

First she told of Christmas present trickery from her childhood including unwrapping a curling iron that was for her, using it and then wrapping it back up for under the tree. It’s a good thing she let it cool off before wrapping it back up. The best story came after she was married though.

Her husband and children had navigated their annual Christmas shopping for mom day producing at its end a package wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. Within a few days, she could not stand it any longer, so while everyone was away from the house she gently unwrapped the mystery gift. Unfortunately, it was a setback. This sweater just plain screamed “ugly!”  How could she even pretend to be grateful for a sweater that was so ugly Santa would have had the reindeer stomp the thing?

She thought up a plan and she thought it up quick. Taking the sweater disguised in a grocery bag, it was exchanged for one of her impeccable taste. She hurried home, wrapped it in the same paper, placed it in the same place under the tree and breathed a sigh of relief.

Christmas day arrived and wrapping paper shreds covered the floor. The children read their new books and hummed a motor noise while using the new dump truck. Mom, however was not sure what to think. Her plan had worked. She grasped in her arms a lovely sweater that was hand picked. She could see herself showing it off to her friends at church and proudly wearing it to her next office party. The problem is that neither her children or husband even noticed the switch.

What does that mean?
Did her husband and children not pay attention enough to remember what they bought for her? I hope we could do better than that!

Maybe he did see and was glad that she got exactly what she wanted. Maybe he would just let her writhe in her deceit for a while.

Or is it worse that she even looked and exchanged it in the first place?

What do you think?

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