rastriker95's Blogs

Chirstmas morning is supposed to be a magical moment for kids as they race down from their bedrooms and tear into the gift pile under the tree in the living room.  You are supposed to hear the kids shreek in joy as the wrapping comes off the present that they've "always" wanted.  

In my family this usually happened as I was always the designated "Present Dispurser", as my younger brother, who was 14 this past Christmas, waited with extreme anxioty for me to pass him a box that had his name on it.  Not to say that he was a gulible kid, but I think he really wanted to believe in Santa until he was 12.  

2021 was the first time in his life that I wasn't there to slowly antagonize him with the gift distribution.  Though he was thrilled with the gifts that I had given him, it was a sad morning that I was in the hospital yet, and didn't get to have the full fledged traditional Christmas.  

He was also a little less than enthuzed when he opened cards from his favorite Aunt and Uncle (Brother and Sister to my Mom), who usually gave out pretty lavish gifts, and found that this year they had decided to only send a handful of gift cards to his favorite stores.  Apparently, it was about the equivelant of getting socks from Grandma.  

For him, I'm probably thinking 2021 ranks as the 2nd worst Chirstmas, just behind 2017 when he was 10, and Mom and Dad thought it would be a funny joke to NOT put his gifts under tree, with the exception of one, which turned out to be one of those "bags of coal" jokes.  To a 10 year old, that is not funny!  And I couldn't believe my parents tried to get away with it without telling me before hand.  

I can remember like yesterday when he opened that box and saw what it was.  His face turned so red it was the shade of Santa's suit.  His eye's got so watery that you could see he was about to explode.  He only made it half way up the stairs to his room before the explosion happened.  

When I stood up to go after him, my parents were sitting on the sofa with the most dumbfounded looks on their faces.  I didn't say anything, but kinda growned at them in a "you shouldn't have done that" tone.  

When I got to his room he had the door locked.  I gave it a few shakes before he then realized I knew how to pop the lock on his door.  He had buried himself under his stack of blankets and was crying trying to figure out how he could have been that bad that year.  I had a hard time convincing him it was Mom and Dad trying to play a joke that didn't go well.  

Once I did get him calmed down, and back to the living room, Mom and Dad did their best to apologize, but that went over like a lead brick as well.  He did eventually get to open his real presents, but Chirstmas 2017 had been distroyed.  Word to parents: Don't ever do that.

So yesterday evening I took him out shopping to use his gift cards.  He ended up getting a few new jeans and shirts outfits, got some new baseball equipment for this summer, bought a few car models for his ever growing collection. 

Then he did something I wasn't expecting. With about $80 left he bought socks, underwear, and undershirts to donate to the homeless shelter.  I was empressed and matched him item for item.  When we stopped by to drop the items off there were a few people there getting stuff who gave my brother a pat on the back and told him that he was a good young man.  On the way back to my apartment he sat quietly and just smiled.  I think that one compliment turned his whole Chistmas around.

So yea, for both of us 2021 Chistmas kinda sucked.  But I'm glad I got to still celebrate in a small part with him. 

Here's hoping that you had a semi-decent Chirstmas as well.  Just don't ever get your kids coal, no matter how bad they were.  It will not go over nicely.