When your Christmas gift is no ordinary t-shirt

Grandma’s surprise Christmas gift

Sometimes, inspiration comes to you from the most unlikely sources. I got hit by a wonderful idea for a surprise gift when I was least expecting it.

A few days ago I was watching an old episode of ‘America’s funniest home videos’. One of the videos captured a Christmas morning scene in which a family was opening their Christmas presents. The camera panned to an elderly lady, presumably the grandmother, opening her gift which happened to be a t-shirt. It couldn’t have been very exciting to get an ordinary t-shirt for Christmas but she tried not to look disappointed. She had on her face a smile that was both polite and graceful.

Surprise, it’s a holiday!

A few seconds of staring at the t-shirt quickly transformed that polite smile into happy, joyful laughter as she read what was written on the t-shirt. There was more to the gift than the obvious . On the t-shirt was a complete itinerary of a trip to Paris! What a wonderful gift and what a fun way to present it. The delight on the grandmother’s face said it all, it was a dream come true for her.

Everything about this gift appeals to me — the cloak of ordinariness disguising the true nature of the gift, the surprise element, a wish fulfilled. The best part is the way it made the lady feel….cherished, wanted, loved.  It is what we aim for through our gifts for the special people in our lives. That’s why this one rates high on my list of great gifts.

Do you have any stories to share? What’s the best surprise gift you’ve ever got?