..."you'll shoot your eye out, kid ! "

mention that line, and almost everyone
knows where it comes from...

in the film, "A Christmas Story",
taken from author Jean Shepherd's nostalgic,
and often hilarious memoirs of growing up
in pre-war middle America, 9 year old "Ralphie",
Shepherd's alter ego, desperately wants,
"a Red Rider, pump action, blue steel,
simulated wood, with a compass in the stock, BB gun"...

his mother, his teacher AND Santa, all tell him,
" you'll shoot your eye out... ! "

on Christmas morning, after opening all his presents,
a dejected Ralphie sits between his parents on the sofa...
when his father asks if he got everything he wanted,
Ralphie says, "pretty much..."
trying to make the best of things...

his father suddenly sits up and says,
"what's that over there ?...behind the desk ? "
Ralphie goes to check it out
and pulls out a wrapped present for him...
he tears off the paper and sees the BB gun,
and is ecstatic...

of course, he almost "shoots his eye out",
in a freak accident...
but no one "adult" catches on to his deception,
involving a icicle,
and Ralphie gets to keep the gun...

in the final scene, Ralphie is in bed,
snuggling up to his gun...
dreaming brave and happy thoughts...
the adult Jean Shepherd,
the narrator throughout the film, says,
".. that BB gun was the best Christmas present
I would ever get..."

how many of us has that simple statement resonated with ?
how many of us have wished to recapture the utter joy
that a childhood gift, long wished for, brought... ?
when simple perfection was ours, if only for a while... ?

TV touts that luxury cars and diamonds
are the truest measure of the perfect gift... or,
if you don't receive what you really want,
go out and buy it for yourself...

the simple idea of taking the time to know someone...
to get a feeling of something that would please them...
make them smile in the knowing,
that you really cared enough to work at it...

like Ralphie's father, who knew his son
and his desire for the BB gun...
who moved in secret, hid the gift to heighten the joy,
and then reveled in his son's absolute delight with the gift...

how like our Father, that is...
He knows us, what will delight us most...
He arranges wonderful, joyous surprises...
and then fills our heart with song and makes our spirits soar...

He did it when He sent His Son, here, to be one of us...
to live with us, and die at our hands, in our stead...
then, it was His only Son, clothed in our humanity ...
sometimes, it is a friend, armed with needles and yarn...
it's always the perfect gift...

this year, I wasn't expecting anything from anyone...
because there was really no one left around
who I thought "owed" me a gift...
but that's just when I had quite a wonderful,
and totally unexpected, "BB gun" moment...

someone, who has become a very dear friend,
and who knits, beautifully, had advertised some of her "projects"
on her blog... they were wonderful...
but I knew that she was overwhelmed
making things for family members,
and, let's face it...
there are only so many hours in a day...

I also knew that if I mentioned my desires to her,
she would have gone out of her way
to give me what I wanted...
because, that's the kind of friend she is...
but then, I would never ask,
because that's the kind of friend I am trying to become......

so, since I knew that there were so many other calls
on her time and talents,
I resolved to put aside my wants and focus on other things,
made all the more difficult,
by the disappearance of my old scarf & gloves...

so when, on Christmas Day,
she told me that she wasn't done yet
with the scarf that she was knitting for me...
I was surprised and very pleased...
I hadn't expected anything, from one
who's given me so much already...
and here she was, giving me something
I really wanted and needed... !

[turns out, she had only started it about 7 different times...
before she was "satisfied" enough to finish it....
that should tell you all that you need to know
about her level of craftsmanship...]

she told me that she would
also make me some fingerless gloves,
all of the same deep red yarn,
with heathered accent bits...
and a custom, closed sleeve for my half thumb,
which is always cold at this time of year....

I was so touched...here was someone,
who cared enough to actually consider
what I needed, what I would like and then
measured both gloves and scarf to me...
so even my half thumb had a perfect fit...

it was truly the thoughtfullness and efforts
of my very busy friend,
that made this such a special gift of herself,
her time and her love...
just this, would have been gift enough for me...

so, today, I was presented
with my beautiful gloves and scarf...
they are as wonderful as I had hoped...
a perfect fit, a lovely color...
everything I could have wanted...
but would never have dared to wish for...

I chuckle, knowing that she'll appreciate the fact
that unlike Ralphie and his BB gun,
I won't be sleeping with them tonight...
because they will be tucked safe, in my car,
away from pillaging kitties...
so they will stay as special as they are now...

warm, soft and made with love...
by someone whose friendship I cherish more,
with each passing day...

when she gave me the brightly wrapped
packages today,
she told me, apologetically...

"they're not perfect..."

but I disagree...

they are perfect...

the most perfect Christmas present I'll ever receive...