When $4.47 buys the perfect gift.

“Mom, can you please take us to Indigo? We want to buy YOU a Christmas present.”

Their little voices echoed loudly from their bedroom. I could hear them rattling around in their money jars, and shortly after they appeared by my side. Their little fists were filled with a variety of low currency coins.

Their plan was simple. Convince mom to lead them to the store, but then lead her down a random aisle so that she can’t actually see them at the cash register buying the ‘thing that she’s going to love.’

We found ourselves in that random store aisle a short while later. Their plan was unfolding beautifully.

“Look at this cool LEGO ship, mom!” Little brother said, desperately trying to distract me from looking at his older brother who was leading the mission. I could see the lady behind the checkout looking around while saying, “Honey, you’re short $0.20, is your mom here with you somewhere?”

He glanced over at me with only a slightly concerned expression and then he came running to ask if I had two dimes in my pocket. “I only have my credit card, here, take this.” I said. He handed me his handful of loose change in return.

And then I watched.

I watched my tall handsome 9 year old boy standing at a till by himself, using a credit card to buy a gift for the woman in his life whom he loves the most.

Can’t you picture him a few decades from now, doing the exact same thing for the new woman in his life that he’ll love the most? He’ll be taller and stronger, but he’ll still have the same soft heart with a bent towards giving, and doing the thoughtful thing.

He thanked the cashier just like his mama had taught him, and then joined us again with a bag in his hand and a grin on his face. “You’re just going to LOVE it!” He said to me.

I dug out the present wrapping supplies when we were home again and they ran to their bedroom, locked the door, and got straight to work.

At least 20 minutes later they emerged holding a small box wrapped in blue reindeer paper with way too much tape.

“Can we put it under the tree already? You promise you won’t open it yet, right?”

He began the ‘hopping dance on one foot’ because the excitement had become so great.

“Oh I just want you to open it right now!”

I hugged them both and then they skipped off to the next thing. I have no idea what’s inside the little box. It cost a whole $4.47 and it was purchased from the toy section of Indigo books, so I can only imagine what special trinket they plucked from the shelves to wrap up for mom.

The best part is that they have already given me my gift and they don’t even know it.

The perfect gift was letting me see the process, and showing me how brothers can willingly share their money.

The perfect gift was brothers working together with a tape roll and one pair of scissors to arduously wrap it up as nicely as they could.

And the perfect gift was giving their mama a sneak peak at the good, thoughtful, and kind men they are becoming.