The Ultimate Gift -- Jim Stovall

<deep breath> Before I begin my 'book report', of sorts...I just need to compose myself.  You see, I just read this book....correction, I read this book in less than the time it takes to drive from Tulsa to Joplin (about 75 minutes).  I'm so thankful to Eric for suggesting the read.

Jim Stovall is, in a word, brilliant.  I could go on and on about this man's gift - finding joy in his problems, motivating others to greatness, and I love how he writes.  I encourage you to read up on him and what other's are saying about him.

The Ultimate Gift is remarkable.  I've read books that have inspired me, challenged me, made me cry, made me think...but never at this magnitude, never at this depth, never for this long.  There is a sentence in this book that, when I think back, hits my heart in a way that I cannot describe....and yes, I remember the exact sentence ("I have to meet a special friend in front of the swing set at the park.").

Without giving too much away...this is a story about a trust fund baby and his uncle giving him the experience of a lifetime...in hopes of enriching his life.  In order to receive his inheritance, he has to 'pass' a series of monthly tests over the course of a year.  In short, the uncle is hoping to open the eyes of a loved one to the great life that can be had.  I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give away the intricately embedded jewels or the 'ah ha' that should be discovered while reading this story.

This book will be required reading in our household.

I am a mom, no wait, an employee, no wait, a wife, no wait....

I remember when the question, 'What do you do?' was simple.  Not that I have memories of anyone asking me that question when I was a child, but I can imagine my response would be something like, 'I annoy my sister' or 'I take naps' or 'What do I do? What do you mean? I don't do anything.'

Time passed...

The answer could have been more detailed, as my life got more detailed.  Blessings for everyone around that I was shy and absolutely not comfortable talking about myself.  So my answer, at that time, would be something like, 'homework' or 'I play volleyball/basketball' or 'What do you mean? I don't do anything.'

Time passed...

Kids were born.  I still worked outside the home.  Thankfully, my employer LOVES family and I was able to take both E and Q to work with me.  I work for a small company, so there was lots of 'help' if I had a conference call or if clients were in the office.  Two grandmother's (one biological, one non-biological?) made my job easier.  When asked, at that point, my answer was more like 'I'm a working mom' or 'I dream of sleep' or 'What do you mean? I do everything!'  I felt like I was burning both ends, but doing a fairly good job.

Time passed...

This year, we added Ben.  I still work (from home).  B, like E and Q, stays at home with me, while I work.  Let me clarify...while I attempt to work.  I live in a larger home than ever before - totally NOT bragging here - I'm saying there's so much more work to put into keeping the house.  I am married to the best man I've ever known (excluding my Papa from that list, of course) and I find myself wanting to be a good wife, too.  So the answer now is more like, 'I am Melissa...I do a lot, but nothing 100% well.'

I'm at a crossroads here.  Do I continue to attempt to be the cookie-baking, lunch-making, note-in-the-backpack-sneaking, quality-time-spending, story-telling momma?  Do I continue to attempt to be the dinner-ready-at-5, laundry-pressing (who am I kidding?), lunch-making, love-note-on-the-mirror-leaving, attentive wife?  Do I continue to attempt to be the 8-5-working, 100%-productive, on-top-of-my-game, save-the-day employee?  Do I even attempt to be all of those things AT ONCE???

Or...do I just be 'Melissa'?  Who happens to be (today anyway) a food-preparing, kisses-before-bed, hugs-anytime, attentive-listener, back-rubber, milk-producer, customer-biller, idea-provider, God-loving, floor-sweeping, Christmas-tree-decorating woman of the not-100%-clean house.  Amen to that.

It's just a package....

Everyone has their little 'things'; small nuances that make up the person they have become.  In the last few years, I've found that what some people have called 'pickyness', I prefer to call my quirks. And I like having quirks.

Christmas brings out one of my quirks.  I'm not the wife/mother/woman that decorates the whole house.  You will likely NEVER see a Santa's village or picturesque township of any kind in my home near Christmas.  You will probably not even see lights decorating the outside of our home; unless Eric does that.  This lack of decoration does not lend itself solely to Christmas.  My home doesn't have Easter clothes, Fall clothes, Christmas clothes, or Halloween clothes.  It's just not my style.

However...the packages and tree are a different story.  I guess it started the year I somewhat boycotted Christmas.  I was still expected, of course, to give Christmas presents; even though I was not in a cheerful or giving mood.  So I complied.  And everyone got their packaged wrapped in brown paper and tied with string.  As I was begrudgingly wrapping gifts....I realized that I was giving people 'brown paper packages tied up with string' and that was a few of MY favorite things!  Ever since then...oh boy.

Those who know me, also know that I have a 'quirk' against play doh, modeling clay, glitter...ya know, stuff that makes a huge mess no matter how careful you are.  And E and Q are not careful - so, much bigger mess. Those items are, in fact, banned from my home.  Well last year I was feeling quite festive and decided that my packages would be wrapped in black paper with white whimsical designs OR white paper with black whimsical designs...and all bows/ribbon would be red.  Classy.  I was proud.  It only took wrapping the first gift and looking at my hands to realize, these beautiful, whimsical patterns were designed out of g.l.i.t.t.e.r.  Oy.  Not only on the packages, but the new ornaments that E and I picked out (which were pink and blue)...covered, I mean COVERED in glitter.  It was like a snowglobe threw up in my house.

I still have some of that paper and I used it for our Thankmas wrappings (sorry, Mitch and Grant).  This year, my mind is a whirlwind of ideas.  The tree is still pink and blue ornaments with white and blue lights.  The only ornament that is out of the theme is my sock monkey because he's always on my tree.  But the wrapping...oh the wrapping...it will be different this year.

Will I wrap in all white, with different colored bows for each person?  Will I wrap in a particular paper for each child?  Will there be name tags or will the kids have to guess which paper is their's?  Will I revisit the brown paper packages?  Decisions, decisions, decisions....