Every week on "Get to Know You Tuesday" in my class, I ask my students a question about themselves. Last Tuesday's question was
"What was your most memorable gift ever given or received?"
I introduced this question by telling them about my most memorable gift I ever gave.
My dad & his sisters
My dad's dad was orphaned at 13. He moved around to his older brother's homes, and didn't get much of a formal education. At 19, a "friend" accidentally shot him in the heart. The doctors said it would be more harmful to try to remove the bullet from the lining of his heart, so it stayed there until his death at 80-years-old. When my grandfather was killed in a car accident on the way to my 16th birthday party, they did an autopsy and I told my dad they should remove that bullet in the lining of my grandpa's heart. They did and for some time, that bullet was kept inside a little envelope in my dad's desk.
When my grandpa died in that car accident, we found an envelope in his car...it had blood on it, but we saw it said, "Love Wanda". Since my grandma had died a year and half earlier, my grandpa had to sharpen up his writing skills. I don't ever recall him ever writing my name before I saw it there on that blood-stained envelope. Inside was a $20 bill! That was huge for my grandpa! I saved that $20 for a LONG time.
I finally figured out what I wanted to do with that $20. With the help of my mom, we made a very special framed display of my grandpa's picture, an engraved plaque and that bullet that was in the lining of his heart for so many years. We wrapped it up and gave it to my dad and he hung it in his bedroom where he can see it every day.
So that was my favorite or most memorable gift I ever gave. The most memorable gift I ever received was my niece who was born on my 19th birthday. She's also one of my students and so I asked her to come up to the front of my class before I shared that part of my little story. I probably embarrassed her, but I don't care! She was such a gift - to become an aunt for the very first time on my birthday! WOW!
My niece "passing out" chocolate
This time of year we talk a lot about gifts and presents. We spend a lot of time shopping and wrapping the "perfect" gift for our loved ones. But, why do we give gifts anyways? We give gifts to remind us of the Gift that was given to us some 2,000 years ago: God's Son, Jesus. The wise men gave Him gifts and so, in honor of Jesus' birthday, we give our loved ones gifts.
What's your most memorable gift ever given or received?
