Mom’s ideal Christmas gift

Christmas is just around the corner and it is time for last minute shopping. I was making my list of people I’d be buying the gifts for and a few options of things that I might want to choose from. For example for my bro I have a choice between that hoodie he was looking for or maybe the game he wanted for his PS 4 or maybe a new swanky helmet and so on and so forth.

I was wondering what to buy for mom when I saw her enter my room and just plop on the bed. She was looking really tired and washed out. It got me thinking what exactly my mommy would want. Even though we are not Christians, thanks to my Missionary school and College, I’ve celebrated Christmas since I was yay high.

So back to my Mommy and her Christmas gift; I searched the sky and the moon for her ideal gift but everything seemed trifle. Be it a watch, a tablet or a book… nothing seems to be significant enough. Tired and defeated I asked her “mommy what do you want for Christmas”. She looked at me and sighed and said, “I don’t want anything baby…” and stopped. I got a feeling that she is not saying something she really wants to. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks…

She just wants a break from the regular duties and dullness of life. For once she does not want to be the one to make tea in the morning or cook lunch or watch me leave for work while she stays back guarding the house and my dogs. I realized what a horrible thing I was doing by taking her for granted. I would not want to be taken for granted but how could I do that to her, the best person in the world! It was just so easy to slip into a habit where my morning coffee would be made by her and I would demand that my breakfast be served on time or that the lunch cooked by her was not tasty enough…

The idea of her perfect gift struck me like a bolt of lightening. I decided to give her a break from some of her duties, which means I’ve to get up 15 minutes earlier than usual everyday to make her a cup of tea. Also I have started helping her out with dinner and Sunday is my time for cooking and her time for taking a break.

However, especially for Christmas, I’m taking her to spa for a nice foot massage, followed by lunch and a movie. Dinners made by me and post that we will sit peacefully with a mug of hot chocolate each and share some meaningless but happy stories.