I have not done much Christmas Shopping this year and I don't plan to do as much as usual. I asked my kids if it was okay for me to give them a check instead of a bunch of presents. My daughter was delighted with this idea and, along with the check I will give her at least one other gift just "to open up". Although this may seem like an impersonal gift, let me tell you a story about "Nanny money". My grandmother started giving us checks, instead of stuff, when we became adults. She also always gave us one gift so we had "something to open up." Oftentimes, it was perfume. As we got older, the checks got bigger. Around October, I would start thinking about how I would spend my "Nanny money". I kept a running list of ideas. One year I got a colorful pastel Aubusson style rug for the living room, another year I got a beautiful oak sideboard which my husband nicknamed the "widow maker" when I sent him, alone, to go pick it up from the antique store. Some years I used it to get all the gifts I wanted, but didn't get, for Christmas. Other years, it was used for trips or classes I wanted to take. The last year I got it, I used it to pay for my first semester of graduate school and my daughter's private school. I don't know how I would have managed to swing that without my "Nanny money"; it was a lifesaver. The point is, the anticipation of the "Nanny money" lasted for months before it was actually given and set my imagination spinning wildly. It promised hope, dreams fulfilled and, most importantly freedom. Who can put a price tag on that?
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