The most memorable Christmas gift I can remember is the Christmas when I was a junior in college. Background -- I had a car (a 1986 Chrysler LeBaron) in high school, but I left it with my younger sister when I went away to school because I lived on a walking-friendly campus and I knew the extra set of wheels would help my family.
My grandmother died that October and left me her car -- a Buick Roadmaster. My parents and I decided there was no way I could parallel park that thing on Miami's campus, so they decided to sell it.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve, when my father informs me that he is waxing the garage floor and I'm not allowed to go in there (in retrospect, duh -- but if you know my dad, waxing the garage floor on Christmas Eve is something he WOULD do.)
That Christmas, after everyone opened their gifts, my mom pulled out a final large box and gave it to me -- it contained a clue that led me to other clues hidden around the house, and finally, to a set of keys hanging in the Christmas tree. That, of course, led me to the garage where a brand new Dodge Neon was parked.
I was so thrilled -- of course, to be driving a new car, but mostly because they had gone to such great lengths to make it a surprise. And full circle -- I handed that car down to my youngest sister when I moved to DC 2.5 years ago.
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