The Best Christmas Gift...Ever

Some of you know my Dad...the one that is very strict and stern and is so predictable. Growing up we always knew that we better act right and be on the straight and narrow. If we weren't we would hear about it in the form of a "whoopin" with the paddle with our names on it...Robin on one side and Jan on the other...at the end of the day when he got home from work. Mark and I were talking the other day about the best Christmas gift we ever got. I really had to think hard but Mark jumped right in there and said that he thought the greatest Christmas gift I had ever gotten was the year that I was surprised with my red bike. Out of nowhere...a red bike. My Mom and Dad were so excited to see how excited I was. I rode the wheels off that bike. I forgot to mention I got this red bike when I was in my late teens or early 20's. I loved my red bike for several reasons. One, I love riding and the most important...it was so out of character for my parents to do something like that. Growing up we always had what we needed. We were fine and had plenty of food to eat, a nice house, vacationed at the lake every summer. We never had Nintendo, big tv's, our own cars...we had what we needed.
My Dad totally surprised the socks off me today. He kept calling to tell me that he had UPS ed our Christmas gifts to us since we weren't going to be able to come home until January. I said okay and have been watching the mail everyday. Today when I went to let Ella out, there was a white package addressed to me. I took it to the kitchen and got a knife to cut thru the tape. I could not imagine what was in the box. I was just expecting a Christmas card with a check. I was blown away by what I found. Ther3 were three boxes...one, for Emmy, one for Sarah and one for me. All with our names printed on top. There were also 6 envelopes. I was having a hard time trying to decide which to open first. I think I opened the box first. There I found the most beautiful pair of diamond earrings. I though, Well, that's really nice. Then I opened the card. There was my Christmas money but also a hand written note from my Dad, which doesn't happen ...let's say never. You might get a post-it-note with a few words on it if you were lucky. I think I got thru the first line and then totally lost it. The note, in my Dad's cool handwriting told me that the earrings were made from my Mom's wedding ring. He said that he had them made and wanted them to stay in the family and to be passed on in memory of my Mom to my grandchildren and great grandchildren. Once I got myself straightened up I told Sarah that she had some mail. She asked who it was from. I told her to read the card. Then I walked to the other side of the kitchen to collect myself. Her card was just as, I can't even think of words to describe it. "Sarah, you came into the family late and adopted but you are still one of the Meadows clan and Meem loved you just like the others. Your earrings were made from Meem's wedding ring. Remember her just like the others do." signed Peep

Dad, I can't even call you right now because I know I won't be able to get a word out without crying. Then I know that you will start to blubber too. We are such old saps! Getting real soft in our old ages...so much like Popaw. But I know that you will be reading the blog. There are no words that I can say that can tell you how much the earring and card mean to me. And then to read what you wrote to Sarah. You surprise me to death. I think under that tough exterior, there is a soft heart. I love the earrings and what they mean. I will cherish them and they will be passed on thru the line of girls in our family...along with Meem and Peep stories. I've already written it in my Bible with all the important stuff. Thank you is just not enough. I love you!