Holiday Sap

While risking sounding like a great big holiday sap, I'm going to share a story...
Tonight was my friends holiday cookie exchange.  A tradition that I have been lucky enough to take part of for the last 3 years now.  The first year I got invited was because one of my friends mothers friends couldn't make it at last minute, and they asked me if I would like to be a part.  Well, I think she did end up being able to make it or something, but I think I ended up having to bake 13 dozen cookies.  This year and the last its been 12 dozen, and I'm pretty sure that will end up being a set number from now on.  More than 12 dozen cookies gets a little out of control. 
Anyway, this year has been hard for me to get in the spirit, but I would like to thank my 6-year-old Goddaughter, and her little 2-year-old sister for rekindling some of that magic for me.  Though the budget was tight, I picked up a little book for them, and made them each an ornament. 
When I arrived I was greeted by my Goddaughter, and shortly after she told me she had a present for me.  She ran to the kitchen and right back with a little box in her hands that she proclaimed proudly that she had wrapped all by herself without any help, and with what had to have been an entire roll of tape.  That alone makes me smile.  There was a little gift wrapped and taped to the outside.  It was her gift to me from her schools Santa Shop.  Its crazy to me, because I remember Santa Shop when I was a kid.  Mom would give me money and I would get to go shopping for my family members, picking out each thing specifically for them.  I unwrapped it, and it was one of those magic towels.  In case you are unfamiliar, basically a compressed cotton brick that you put in water and it expands and turns into a towel.  Mine has penguins on it.  The bigger box I unwrapped had an ornament just for me with "Godmother" in red on a silver bulb.  It was very sweet.  It had to be the look on her little face when I looked up, how excited and happy she was to give it to me, that really struck me right in the heart.  She gave me a big hug, and when I told her I had something for her and her sister, she got so excited.  By the end of the night, her and I ended up on the couch, reading the story book I got her together.

Christmas is different being a grownup.  Its harder to keep that magic going sometimes.  My Goddaughter reminded me tonight though why I like Christmas.  She was so happy to give me a present.  She didn't even know I had something for her.  I had gone there, planning to surprise them with a little gift, when in fact she surprised me.  She gave me a better gift than she even knows.