the best gift

repost

I originially posted this two years ago, but after looking through the comments, I realize that the cast has changed a little. Last night as Dixie was finishing up the Christmas decorating, it came to mind again, and I enjoyed the experience of thinking about it. So, I thought I'd share it with you, Mike, this is at least part of the story you are wanting. Enjoy.

yesterday
bride put the finishing touches on the christmas decorations in the house
we are blessed to have a lot of very nice stuff
there is one item that always takes me back

it was from 1980, the christmas of the year we met
bride has beyond excellent embroidery skills
and through the late fall, she was working on this
interesting christmas embroidery -
a decorated christmas tree with an elf standing by it
simple, and really cool

you may laugh at that - but all fall
she was doing this in plain view of me
sometimes while we were watching TV together
or just hanging out
i watched her work on it and i thought it was really cool
that she could do intricate artistic work like that -
hours and hours and hours she worked on it

i did not see it completed
until christmas morning that year
when i opened up a present from her to me
inside the box
was a simple
beautiful christmas stocking

she had made it for me without me realizing it
it was white with big red trim at the top
and my name in white thread cursive on the red trim
on the white part was the embroidered scene
that she had been working on for weeks

i'm sitting here right now trying to think
of a christmas present i have liked better than that
or that surprised me more -

i can't

i just now glanced slightly off to the left to tell kid1 goodnight
and there it was...
hanging on the fireplace mantle
i love that thing