I've given my mom some horrendous gifts over the years. In the realms of impracticality, lets start with the painted gord I gave to her incidentally (I intended to keep it for myself) It was a project I did while I was in the 5th grade , Ms. Wortham's class. We painted them with different native american related symbols and then put some lacquer on them to give them a shiny finish. In the best of circumstances, a good mom would keep it on display for a week or so, then it would most likely find its way to a box, and in the end be placed in storage only to be thrown out at some future yard sale. This gord, that I so unprofessionally painted still sits on the living room box shelf and has for the last 14 years, more than half of my life. Maybe because it is inherently durable, but none the less 14 years. One thing I go for my mom recently (unintentionally) was a diorama style candle holder. The story behind that one is: I was driving down 'the ridge' one friday afternoon on my way to go backpacking with my brother, when a yard sale caught my eye. I pulled in suspecting that there might be one thing worth buying, being that it was the end of day. You know the point in a yardsale when you start to pack up everything leftover, getting ready to be donated to CARES, thats just about the time I pulled up. The ladies there was the good ole package-deal kind of yardsalers. But instead of adding things on and uping the price, it seemed like they just wanted me to take all there junk for next to nothing. So I looked around knowing that I better choose as few things as possible and be willing to take whatever they want to give away. So I found a table (that I still use today) and a blender then they started making the package deal larger, one things after another. Things like useless paper towel holders, cracked pots, random dishes, none of there offers real appealed to me until I saw a blue and white porcelain vase and saucer set and since I was free I decided to take it. Also there was a diorama candle holder that they stuck me with as I was leaving. I gave those last two items to my mom, unwrapped out the back of my car and she assumed they were early mothers day gifts, the diorama is still on display in the TV set.
So today I made a porch swing for her. Only time will tell if my hypothesis is correct.
So can a boy give his mom a 'bad present', when it is given with even the slightest bit of thoughtfulness?
I think the answer is 'No!' it's not the present that is important.
I think I'm stumbling across a very important life lesson, one that I hope I don't soon forget.
A present to a woman be it a mother, wife, daughter, or sister tells them first, that you love them. Secondly, that they were on your mind if only for a second when you procured that present for them. And I assume that in the optimistic outlook of they're mind that means the thought of them is often in your mind.(Because the thought of you is often on their mind, they don't choose for it to be there, it just is because they love you, ie. worried mothers, nagging girlfriends, pestering sisters they are thinking of you) Hence, they also are remember, not forgotten. Valued because they were made a priority. Cherished because you gave them a token that encapsulates all of that in a keep sake.
So don't be surprised when those small things or actions never disappear or never forgotten.\
PS: Praise God too that somehow he cracked through the aimless thoughts of your mind in the moment that you remembered that special someone. He was able to love them through you :D
