Best Christmas Ever

When I read your stories I had to share mine. Years ago my mom started a tradition of giving each of us, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren a gift from her basement of things she had collected over her 70 years.

On Christmas Eve after other gifts were exchanged, she gives each of us our yearly ornament, and then proceeds to hand out these gifts in a brown paper bag. Mind you her basement is full of anything and everything you could possibly need (or not need). The special thing about this is that each gift she gives to us (about 20 family members) is specially thought out and picked based on our personality.

My son who loves penguins - an old penguin piggy bank and one year penguin salt and pepper shakers. A vintage baseball glove and what was left of grandpas umpires brush, for a son that loved baseball. For my political son, an old political bumper sticker from an election an era ago, and for the spider hater, a paperweight with a tarantula inside.

These are just a few to mention, and there's always a story to be told, behind each of these gifts, she shares. At first we laughed thinking that was her way of cleaning out her basement. Now it is the most exciting moment of the evening.

Last year was a very sad Christmas for us, celebrating the holiday was not something I was looking forward to, but I have to say that moment at the end of the evening on Christmas Eve, handing out the gifts, still brought a smile and some cheer to my evening. I hope my mom knows just how special she is and that we so appreciate how sentimental she is and all the memories that she has shared with us.

- Paula Austin