We hope all our readers who celebrate Christmas had a wonderful day. My family had a great time, aside from the fact that we are all suffering from a bit of a cold. We spent the day eating lots of sugary and fatty food and blowing our noses.
But as I sat in our living room, watching my husband and daughter open presents, my mind drifted back over the years of gifts I've given and received. And there's one present I received for Christmas about twenty years ago that always sticks out in my memories. You might assume it's a fancy piece of jewelry or a pet, something that made a lasting impact on my life.
Um, no.
It was a Star Trek uniform.
Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I'm not a "Trekkie." I have enjoyed a Star Trek movie here and there, but I can't name all the characters, I don't know names of the different incarnations of the television series's.
Most importantly, if you know anything about me, you would know that even if I was a Trekkie and knew all the information there is to know about Star Trek, you would know I'd never do anything with a Star Trek uniform. I don't go to Comic Con or Trekkie Conventions. And even if I did go to those conventions, I would never dress up in a costume.
Now here's the thing. I wasn't mad about getting the uniform. I would never be mad about any present anyone gave me. In fact, I thought it was pretty funny when I opened the gift. The man who gave it to me was very sweet, but a little odd. He definitely lived his life to his own drumbeat. I don't want to embarrass anyone, so I'm not going to name names. For this article, I'll just call him "Friend." And I'm confident he doesn't read this blog or I would never repeat this story, because while he was an odd guy, he was very sweet. I would never want to hurt his feelings.
So Friend was looking on with great expectation as he handed me my present. I peeled off the wrapping paper as he watched intently. And when I got the item unwrapped and saw it was a Star Trek costume, I was so confused that it didn't even occur to me to hide the look of complete surprise and confusion that surely came across my face. It was one of those pure moments of total surprise.
I might have even started laughing.
But Friend was so sincere in his enjoyment of giving me the uniform. He very earnestly explained that he could tell last year when he had given Brad a Star Trek uniform that he saw the disappointment in my eyes, and knew that I had wished I had one too.
Yes, you heard that right. The previous Christmas he had given Brad a Star Trek uniform as well.
Brad's made a tiny bit more sense. I mean, don't get me wrong; it was completely random that he gave Brad a costume, but at least Brad was more of a Star Trek fan. But, like me, if you know Brad, he's really not a dress-up-for-the-premiere-of-a-Star-Trek-movie kind of guy.
But Friend definitely saw the world through different lenses, and he had interpreted my complete and giddy hysterics at watching Brad open his Star Trek uniform, as envy. I remember being unable to stop laughing.
Friend must have remembered it differently, and went out and found me a matching costume so I could share in the enjoyment of Star Trek uniform ownership.
Brad and I still laugh about this story. It was one of those moments where you simply could not have expected it, nor will it ever be repeated. And the thing is that the Star Trek uniforms were given with so much love that it was impossible to do anything but thank him and tell him how much we loved them.
Toni here:
This one's easy for me, Mara. I kept a diary for the first few months after you joined our family from Korea. I wrote it out in a cheap notebook almost every day. One Christmas, your dad had it made into a book—typed and with lots of photos of you and the whole family. He had three of them made—one for me, one for you, and one for your brother. It was the most unexpected present I've ever received...by a mile. I treasure it to this day.
So what about you? Do you have memories of unexpected gifts you've received?
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