Christmas can be overwhelmingly emotional and financially draining for some when it comes to gift giving. It was more evident when I stood in line at the check out counter at Vons. In front of me was a woman, maybe in her thirites. With a bag of chips, some dip and a large container of cat litter on the counter, she fiddled with a pondering focus at the several gift cards in hand. Like a player at a Vegas casino, she opened the cards like a fan exposing her hand - Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Kohls and American Express. As the cashier swiped each plastic, her focus shifted to the lit bright green numbers. When the cashier scanned the price of the cat litter, the woman asked the cashier a question. She was convinced that the litter box was on sale for $7.99 and not $9.99 The cashier asked one of the assistant to check. It didnt take long for him to return and showed the woman the price label was for a different item. For two dollars more, the woman decided to not buy the cat litter. One by one, the cashier rang the gift cards. $25 for Target, $30 for Best Buy, $50 a piece for two Kohls and another $50 for American Express. Celebrating Christmas Eve was nowhere the cost dolled out by the woman at Vons. For $6.99 lunch special, I took the coolest dogsitters wherever they wanted to go. They chose a place where Ive never been, let alone would venture out to another town just for Thai food. Once we got there, I grabbed my bag behind my seat, except that it wasnt there. I had left it back at their house. I cursed at myself as they burst in laughter because they didnt want me to spend a dime on them in the first place. At all. Period. Its been a yearly tradition for me to buy them each an hour worth of massage which they love but found out the place is no longer in business yesterday. Uncle Dan laughed the hardest as he exclaimed, God works in mysterious ways! And that became the highlight of our day. As the day waned to early dusk, dogsitters went to LA to mentor those in need. And knowing shed be alone, I called my 89 year old neighbor Roma. Her son who lives on the other side of our street would be absent as he has been for the last decade. I brought over a light dinner of mixed kale salad and pastry filled of spinach and ricotta cheese, neither of which shes ever had but enjoyed with welcomed delight. It was an impulsive choice to which I already had. During dinner, we chatted of family and traditions along with least favored things that more often than not comes with family gatherings. Roma often talks about the past as often as I try to remind her that she needs to live in the moment. So to bring her back to the present, I asked her if she has ever been to Naples here in Long Beach. Naples is a miniature version of Venice, Italy...sort of. And in the 30 years or so that she lived here, she has only seen the traditional boat parade on TV. Like a kid anxious to see Santa for the first time, her attention perked with interest at the phrase Lets go! So I gathered the dishes, called out The Pooch Princess from the backyard into the house and told Roma to get ready and meet us outside in ten minutes. She was already on the sidewalk waiting. Onlookers paraded sidewalks as we slowly weaved through crowded streets. You think you were somewhere but Long Beach. The famous Toledo bridge attracted the most crowd while I stopped the car and awed at the whimsical lights for clear memorable shots until lights from behind in my rear view mirror got brighter and closer. The narrow docks below on both side, rows of homes sparkled in lights of Christmas red, green, blue and yellow. Homes with windows opened to the outside, made us gush at the beauty and elegance of those who lived in them. Oh, what a dreamy and ideal place to live we said out loud with envy only to catch ourselves reminded of the yearly nuisances such as ourselves this place brings would be worth the price even if we hit the lotto jackpot. With Christmas music in the background and Gracie barking at dogs, we and the onlookers alike exchanged Merry Christmas greetings. After two more trips across Toledo bridge and basked at the flickering lights, it was time to go home to quiet stillness. As for the woman at Vons, if the recipients could only have seen the expression of torment when their gift cards were purchased over the cat litter ....sadly, they will never know. Merry Christmas everyone!!
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 08:08:54 +0000
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