It may be 41 degrees here today and Christmas is a long way off both in my head and on the calendar but, some of our family traditions seem to be top of mind today.  Funny what sticks with you and when those memories pop up.  Dad and I have had this tradition for as long as I can remember, in fact, my first memory of it was when I was four years old.  Still to this day, every year, and I mean every year, Dad and I head out on Christmas Eve to choose my Christmas gift.  I’ll take you right back to that first one and the wonder and awe I experienced.  

We had just moved to Montreal from Lahr Germany, I was born there on the Armed Forces base so am considered a Canadian born abroad.  We had moved over the summer, June is posting season for the Military so we had settled into that little crescent in Longueil Quebec.  I had settled in pretty well up until then, had managed to learn a few more French words, I mean  “biscuit” had served me well but I had to evolve.  Of course Mum was our chief Christmas gift shopper but Dad wanted to get in on it too.  That year was born our tradition.  We had this amazing faux fireplace front with our very real Christmas tree surrounded by Mum’s lovingly wrapped gifts, each one of them I know she spent time picking out the right paper and the little tag to go with it.  It’s funny, as I think back now I realize how Mum’s touches and love were what I remember most, not really the gifts over the years.  Anyway back to that Christmas in 1976.  Dad and I were sitting at breakfast that morning talking about Santa, the reindeer and how much snow might fall that night and he says, run get dressed, we have to get mamma a present!  Oh boy was I excited.  Shopping has never been my thing, but the decorations in all of the stores were so pretty especially to a 4 year old in Canada for their first Christmas!  We headed out together, me all bundled up in my snowsuit and feeling fine.  As dad said, we did need to get my mamma a special present, dad also was not a shopper so he like so many men, was a last minute, panic stricken, lets get this done kind of guy.  We picked out the most perfect gift at the time, a very old fashioned phone, just like you see in the black and white movies.  We knew mamma would love it.

So I know you’re wondering how our tradition started from that I’m sure.  Although dad knew mamma had worked hard to make our Christmas a special one, he also knew she had done all the work and he should really put some effort in!  We headed to the toy section at Eaton’s in downtown Montreal.  Oh my, I can’t even describe what it was like to walk into that as a wide eyed 4 year old.  I really just thought we were wandering through.  Dad headed down the middle of the aisle, crouched down and said the most magical words I could ever had heard, “ok Rat, you get to pick one thing, just for you to take home, pick your most favourite thing and we’ll get that”. By the way, I have been little Rat for as long as I can remember, dad was big Rat and still is to this day.  I knew exactly what I wanted, Cowboy Kissing Barbie, yup you read that right, Cowboy Kissing Barbie!  She came with her own hat, fringe satin shirt and cowboy boots.  Imagine all that, but what made her the most amazing was this little button you pushed on her back and she winked and made a kissing sound.  I still can’t wink to this day so you can imagine how impressive that must have been to me all those years ago.  I picked her off the shelf and we headed to the cash, withing a few moments, she was all mine.  The deal was of course that she had to go under the tree until the next morning but just knowing she was there was enough for me.  Shear bliss, I tell ya, shear bliss!! 

We still have that tradition these days, dad and I head out on Christmas eve and shop for mamma and for me. I pick them both out and we wrap hers up and mine goes under the tree.  Dad feels better that way, he knows it’s something we want and he and I get to spend some time together amongst the chaos of the holidays.  It’s funny though over the years, I don’t remember the gifts so much as I do the laughs we had getting them.  I know I’m more fortunate than most, my relationship with both my parents is a wonderful one, built entirely on moments like these ones and I’m thankful for that more than anything they ever could have bought me.