A funny Christmas memory

When Matt was little, at Christmas I would sometimes ask a friend to take him shopping to get me a Christmas present. I felt that I needed to teach him about giving, so I would give a friend some money for him to shop for me.

One year when he was 7 or 8 years old, I took him to the store myself. We went to a small drugstore that had mirrors at the top of the walls so I could see him and make sure no one bothered him. I gave him $20 and walked him through the store to give him some ideas of what he could get me. I pointed out things like candles, lotion, earrings, bubble bath and the like. I showed him where I would be waiting for him and off he went.

After a few minutes, Matt came back and asked if he could get something for himself, too. I told him that would be okay. So off he went again and a short time later he was done with his purchase. As we walked to the car, he excitedly showed me the cool Hot Wheels set he got for himself, keeping my gift hidden in the bag.

After showing me his new toy, Matt said, "You might think I spent more on my toy than your present, but they were the same, Mom. I promise." After we got home, Matt happily played with his new toy. At some point he got my gift wrapped and under the tree. On Christmas morning, I cracked up when I opened my present from Matt--it was a hairbrush!

Cost of a hairbrush: $3
Cost of a Hot Wheels set: $15
Cost of this Christmas memory: priceless