When I arrived in residence my first year of university, my sole music source was a desk-top clock radio.  I was surprised to find it seemed everyone else had powerful sound systems; tuners, amps, turn-tables and large speakers.  I decided I wanted one too.  I approached Mom with my request and she said she could make it a Christmas present if I wanted, but it would be my only gift. I readily agreed.

A few days before Christmas a large cube-shaped present appeared beneath the tree, placed there by my younger brother.  He was fifteen and he had an air of exciting mystery about him. I was curious about his gift which was lightweight and didn’t make a sound when I shook it.

On Christmas morning I learned my brother’s gift was not the thing in the box but the thing forming the box; six record albums taped together!  He knew I would be receiving a sound system and that I had very few albums to play on it.

What made this gift so special was not only the thought he put into it, or his creative way of presenting it, or even his perfect match of my taste in music; it had taken a lot of time and effort to create this gift.  Not having a lot of money to spend and wanting to stretch his dollars, he had watched the newspaper ads for the weekly Saturday morning Door-Crasher Specials at Sam the Record Man.  He had gotten up early to get across town to be at the door when Sam’s opened at 8:30 in the morning, on a Saturday morning….six times!

What’s your most memorable Christmas gift?

Photo credit: Jonas N