Anna

Yesterday I went shopping with Anna. I was pushing her through the purse department at our local Belk (one of those stores that should not even have carts/stroller carts because there is no way to shop with them, unless you are just there to make laps around the big open perimeter of an aisle, avoiding all possible shopping, unless what you happen to want is just hanging right there on the edge for you).
I want to find a purse for my Mom for Christmas, and I have a lot of specifics in mind. Preferably brown, but not a tan or reddish brown, a chocolate brown, with one open compartment in the center, and with gold or brass, not silver, metal accents, medium size, but a little taller than what she has, with a zipper, something with soft and not shiny or hard LEATHER, something cool but not too biker chic, more on the classic side without looking old lady, and this perfect purse was eluding me. I was running (ramming, a little bit out of protest) the cart into all the purse displays, snatching up purses, rejecting them after a quick inspection, and muttering to myself the whole time. Sort of acting a little crazy, but most of the other shoppers seemed to be in a similiarily agitated state, so I figured it was all good. Anna thought this was a very fun game, and was thrilled to help me look for a purse for Nona (or Nona Anna Donna is her full name; we didn't name Anna after her, but Jonathan named her after Anna). She kept suggesting purses, and I kept saying, "NO! I am looking for this perfect purse, Anna. It is really hard to explain."

Eventually she said, "Do you wanna know what the most perfect present ever was?"

I didn't even look up at her. I was holding a particularily ugly specimen in my hands, and saying to myself, if I do recall correctly, "Does ANYONE buy this CRAP? Who are they kidding!" I absent-mindedly said, "What's that, Anna?" I was expecting her to refer back to a gift she received last Christmas, or last birthday.

She said, "The most perfect present ever was when God sent baby Jesus to the world."

Oh. Oh. Dear.

She continued on..."God sent an angel to tell Mary and Joseph that they were going to be the Mommy and Daddy to Jesus. And they RAN all the way to Bethlehem, and there was no room for a crib, so they had the baby in a manger. And God gave baby Jesus to all of us because he loves all of us. That's the perfect present."

Wow. First of all, thank you to her preschool, and her wonderful teachers. I know she certainly (and ashamedly so) has not learned this from me... I have not had my heart in the right place this Christmas. In all the rush and ridiculousness of the season, I have not given much thought myself to the reason we give gifts in the first place.

Maybe that is why I never feel quite satisfied with the presents I give at Christmas. I try my hardest, but what earthly good can ever measure up to that one most perfect present?

Thank you, my dear Anna, my sweetest girl, for giving me perspective and wisdom. I needed it!

PS I finally found a satisfactory purse for Nona at Dillards. It is not perfect, but it never will be, right? And she can always return it. But I hope she likes it. :)