Have you ever had one of those times that you did something on an impulse just because it seemed the right thing to do, and then found confirmation that it was, indeed, the right thing to do?
I recently went to a Christmas party for MCT folks (that's our theatre family), hosted by a semi-crazy MuMmers dude, Phil Tytanic - he's also a mainstay of The Venue and of ManLunch. I always enjoy a chance to hang with my MCT friends, partly because I love them and partly because they are so much sheer fun to be around.
So we had this gift exchange going on, where you draw a number and take turns grabbing gifts from under the tree, and you're allowed to "steal" someone else's gift if it works out. So Cody gets a guitar-playing Elmo (see photo at left). And I could see that Ayden noticed it, and really really wanted it. Ayden is Phil's little boy.
Now, I don't normally care one way or another about getting the gift. The fun is seeing somebody else enjoy the gift that I found for them. It really is more blessed to give than to receive. Getting stuff is really not that hard, and is its own reward, which is comparatively small. So I checked to see if Cody would be OK with it (his little baby twins have no use for it), and I stole his Elmo, so I could give it to Ayden when the time was right. I was lucky; nobody stole it from me. And I was pleased to see how happy it made him, though he was about to fall asleep. Not really a big deal, but I love to see little kids happy.
So a few days later, Phil made this video as his Christmas card. And I learned that Ayden played with his new Elmo the next day, for the longest time. So I did the right thing, and it turned out to be a wonderful thing.
Add that to the fact that no less than three of my girlfriends have had new babies, including a set of twins, and I got to hold them all in the last few days, and this is shaping up to be the best Christmas ever. I love babies...
