The First Adult Christmas Present I gave…

I was reminiscing about the holidays & gift giving the other day. As far back as I could remember, as soon as talk of the Christmas season would begin, I would start planning what to give people.

Yeah, I was one of those strange children who cared more about giving gifts. I mean let’s not get it twisted I had my Sears Catalog toy list & stuff, but right next to my list was what I wanted to give others.

Shit, even before the Secret Santa in Elementary school I would draw, color, and even one year I learned some basic crochet stitches and I think I made every one in my family a doiley or scarf like object that they all pretended to like but either hid or threw away when I wasn’t looking. The point is I like giving & I planned ahead of time.

I remember the year one year, I believe I was seventeen. I remember my daughter was little I was on public assistance.

I didn’t learn how to drive yet, so I walked or took a cab to run my monthly errands.

Every month, I would watch out the window for the mailman and then run down the steps to meet him so he could hand me my “assistance envelope”. The envelope consisted of a monthly stipend of $322. 00 a “food stamp ticket” which you gave to either a bank teller or “food stamp truck” and they gave you food coupons (stamps), and a Medicaid card.

Typically every month, I would pack up my daughter’s diaper bag and stroller and we would walk the three mile round trip walk to the bank & then to the Acme & Kmart to pick up what we needed.

This particular month, I was wandering around Kmart and I saw it.

An artificial ficus for $89.00.

In the late 80s for someone on public assistance it was a small fortune, but I wanted to get it for my mother for Christmas.

Off to the lay-a-way counter I went. It was the first major layaway purchase I ever made.

Silly, huh? But I was seventeen with a baby so I felt grown as hell.

Plus my Mom had no idea, and I was proud of myself. I made my little payment every month at errand time while my Mom was at work.

And I kept my mouth shut 🤐 .

For the first time in my little teenage life. 🤭.

Until it was time to take the thing home. 🤣.

I didn’t think of that.

So, here’s my happy, jolly ass in Kmart with my daughter. Her stroller & diaper bag in the cart, her up front in the child seat thingy and this really large box 📦 sticking out of the cart 🛒. It was haphazard and awkward as hell walking home pushing that damn cart.

The most annoying part was walking down the street that didn’t have a sidewalk. I had to stop and pick up the box from the road a couple of times.

Some jerk slowed down his car, asked if I needed help, then laughed and took off.

“Yeah , Merry Fuckin Christmas Asshole!” I yelled after the car. Luckily, I was almost to the apartment building.

But how the hell was I supposed to get everything up the four flights of steps to the apartment?!

I had to ruin the surprise 🤣. I grabbed my daughter & the diaper bag and ran up the steps. My mother, had a very confused expression as I ran by her to put the baby in her crib.

I then ran past her to head out the door, “I’m not leaving, but I gotta do this now so don’t be mad at me.”

I ran back down the stairs, then I grabbed the 📦 the tree was in. It was heavier than it looked 🤣, so I drug it up all of the steps.

When I got everything in the door, the look on my mother’s face was stuck on confused 🤔. But once she realized what it was and what I had to do to get it to her, I think she appreciated it 🤣

Nah, I know she did, she had that tree for years ❤️🎄❤️