My mother is a very creative person. Anyone who knows her is probably well aware of this. Intermingled with her creativity (part of what I think drives it) is her perpetual optimism. She is a glass-half-full kind of person. It's not surprising that her favorite color is yellow. Anyway, these are all just pieces of background information for one memorable Christmas.
One year, there was one present in particular that I recall my mom getting very excited about. She was itching to tell me what it was but wanted to wait until Christmas. With her eyes gleaming, I could tell she was just bursting at the seems. She said she couldn't tell me what the present was, but if I asked questions, she would answer them.
Me: Is it big?
Mama: Yes! It is too big to wrap.
Me: (getting pretty excited here) hmmm...is it colorful?
Mama: Oh yes, it is very colorful
My 10 year old brain thought...colorful=good! Hmmm...what could it be? It HAS to be exciting because she is excited about it and it is really big and colorful.
Me: (thinking it must be some cool toy) Does it move?
Mama: Yes, it moves
Me: (Yes! Even better! A moving toy!) Does it move on its own?
Mama: It can!
Me: (Wow! My brain is headed in the direction of the COOLEST toy) Can it carry things?
Mama: Yes! It can carry whatever you want it to!
I was very excited after this! I couldn't think of ANY other thing that I could be getting other than some really cool robot! This would be awesome! I'd have a robot to carry things to me and a colorful one too!
One year, there was one present in particular that I recall my mom getting very excited about. She was itching to tell me what it was but wanted to wait until Christmas. With her eyes gleaming, I could tell she was just bursting at the seems. She said she couldn't tell me what the present was, but if I asked questions, she would answer them.
Me: Is it big?
Mama: Yes! It is too big to wrap.
Me: (getting pretty excited here) hmmm...is it colorful?
Mama: Oh yes, it is very colorful
My 10 year old brain thought...colorful=good! Hmmm...what could it be? It HAS to be exciting because she is excited about it and it is really big and colorful.
Me: (thinking it must be some cool toy) Does it move?
Mama: Yes, it moves
Me: (Yes! Even better! A moving toy!) Does it move on its own?
Mama: It can!
Me: (Wow! My brain is headed in the direction of the COOLEST toy) Can it carry things?
Mama: Yes! It can carry whatever you want it to!
I was very excited after this! I couldn't think of ANY other thing that I could be getting other than some really cool robot! This would be awesome! I'd have a robot to carry things to me and a colorful one too!
Now, I have no idea how my brain came up with this vision. I hadn't seen any robots anywhere. But I was convinced after our little Q&A that the only possible thing it could be was a robot.
I couldn't wait! I went bounding down the stairs ready to meet my robot....HALT....all I see is a lumpy looking thing covered in black trash bags. Hmmm...it didn't look anything like a robot.
When it was finally my turn to open my present, I quickly removed the black trash bag to uncover a.....
suitcase! (Pictured suitcase is not the one..that's just the suitcase I have now but it was a purple one at the time) A suitcase? Bbbut..but...It HAD to be a robot?
Hmmm..
-Is it colorful? Well..yes, it is....
-It's definitely too big to wrap
-Does it move? Okay, yes, yes, it does!
-Does it move on its own? She said "it can" Yes, yes..small sigh..it can if I push it and let it roll
-And can it carry things? Yeah yeah it sure can
Oh Mama, you got me! I don't think I've ever seen anyone get so excited about a suitcase! And my mom's excitement in her description of this thing made it seem like something out of this world.
She is a creative one..she is..and I think a suitcase was probably a much more useful Christmas present than some imaginary robot ever would have been.
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