A LIFE IN PROGRESS
By Ray Lucas
THE GREATEST
GIFT SINCE
SLICED BREAD
D
on’t you love it when you
receive a surprise gift that
blows you away? It doesn’t
happen as often for me as
an adult, but I remember
as a child receiving memorable gifts that were
not only unexpected but turned out to be
something I didn’t know I needed, and that
suddenly completed me.
For Christmas one early year, I received a drum
set – and it was awesome! I didn’t realize that I
needed these drums until I had received the set
from Santa, and then it was perfectly clear that I
should have been banging on them for years. A
few years later, I was awed by the gift of an Evil
Knievel motorcycle jump set, complete with the
Evil Knievel action figure in his star spangled cape.
More recently, my wife tracked down the folks
who make maple syrup-flavored cotton candy at
a local winter festival and had them make me a
special batch for my birthday. I look forward to
this particular treat each year for months prior
and will buy a dozen bags of the delicious candy
at the annual Maple Syrup Festival. So, to receive
it as a gift out of season was unexpected and
something I didn’t realize I needed.
These are the best kind of gifts: ones that take
us by surprise. Gifts from loved ones who know
us better than we know ourselves. They’re gifts
that remind us of a need that we didn’t even
know we had.
76 EXTOL : FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
Don’t get me wrong, not every gift has to be
some type of haiku experience to be appreciated.
I recently received gift cards to Chick-fil-A and to
the New Albanian from friends who well know my
love languages (fried chicken and craft beer). Yes,
they were gift cards, but they also were thoughtful
expressions of appreciation by people who know
what I love.
With that said, I find myself too often falling into
the practical gift trap of buying a gift card to Lowes
or a Visa one. These gifts are very practical and, I’m
sure, appreciated but will soon be forgotten and
don’t say all that I mean to say when giving a gift.
Maybe they are OK for an occasional graduation
gift, but I feel I can do better for a loved one’s
wedding or a dear friend’s birthday. I, for one,
need to step up my gift-giving game.
I found myself reflecting on the state of gift
giving after a recent birthday gathering with
friends. I had told my wife I didn’t need a party,
but she assured me that I did. We met at a local
pub, Pints and Union. As friends gathered, they
overwhelmed me with gifts of rare craft beers,
fashionable bourbons and even three pounds
of bacon. “Beer, Bourbon and Bacon” – sounds
like some wonderful music festival I should get
tickets to this summer, regardless of the lineup.
Other friends shared unique gifts of safari hats,
AA batteries (there’s a story there) and a bonfire
cake right out of the Ace of Cakes show that all
spoke of how well they know me.
But the most intriguing gift of the night came
in a long, slender box that screamed Red Rider
BB gun. When the time came to open the box,
I pulled at the paper, ripped open the box and
stood in awe as the gift came into full view. It
was a three-foot Samurai Sword protected by a
decorative sheath of black and yellow.
Like Ralphie from the classic Christmas Story
movie, I smiled and momentarily dreamed of