"Christmas Gift!"  

Every year I know to expect it and yet every year it catches me by surprise.   I have even gotten up early on Christmas morning repeating under my breath..."Christmas Gift, Christmas Gift, Christmas Gift" in an attempt to remember and not get caught again.  You see, in our family, the first one to say "Christmas Gift" to another person gets all of that person's Christmas gifts.  Of course, nobody really takes away anyone's gifts; it's all a joke and our family's way of saying "Gotcha!"

I thought I had a handle on things this past year though.  I decided all I had to do was to just answer my door by flinging it open and immediately exclaiming "Christmas Gift!"   It would have worked too, except it was my neighbor at the door.  She thought I had lost my mind over the stress of the holidays.  While I was trying to explain the "tradition thing" to her, the phone rang and before I could say "Hello", I heard my daughter yelling on the other end of the telephone, "Christmas Gift!"   I couldn't believe it; I had lost again!   

The game, of course, doesn't always end there.  It goes on and on because every time I open a gift, I hear, "Remember that's mine!" or "That necklace will be perfect with my earrings."

It seems I just can't win at this game, so I thought as a last resort I would send this story to you.

"CHRISTMAS GIFT!!"

GOTCHA!!

By

Pamela R. Blaine

© December 2001