Every Christmas I’ve ever had in my life has been special,
but the Christmas of 2015 was especially so.
Why?
That Christmas
I received a gift from a friend
that was so unbelievably wonderful
it still brings joy into my life
every single day.
Let me tell you my story.
I work a part-time job in a store.
The day before that Christmas Eve I was working.
At the end of my shift, I was getting changed
when I noticed that there was a text message on my cell from my best buddy.
In it, he asked if I’d be home the next day
so we could exchange our Christmas gifts with each other.
This was unusual
as we would normally exchange our gifts
at the church that we both attended after the Christmas service,
and each open ours once we were back at our homes.
I texted him back telling him it wasn’t possible
as I would be working a shift from 8 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon,
and then out with family.
He sent a message right back
asking if he could come round my house and swap gifts at seven,
before I went to work
so he could be there when I opened it.
Odd!
What was so important that he had to give me my gift early?
What was so special about it
that he wanted to be there when I opened it?
Nevertheless,
I said it was okay.
Like an idiot,
I forgot to set my alarm so I’d be up when he called at seven.
So, I was in a funk
when the doorbell sounded at seven.
I scrambled downstairs still half asleep
but determined to get to the door
before my Mom started complaining about the early call from my friend.
When I opened the door
my buddy had a smile on his face so broad,
I thought his head would crack!
We chatted for a few moments on the doorstep
but he seemed so full of excitement
that I invited him inside and we went straight up to my room.
He hardly seemed interested in my gift for him,
saying he’d open it later.
Instead,
he insisted I open his right there and then.
I looked at him curiously.
If anything his grin was even more broad.
He looked like he was about to burst with excitement.
What was so special?
I took the box from him and carefully unwrapped it.
I looked at the contents.
Yeah,
great stuff,
but nothing that seemed THAT special.
However, a few minutes later
and I would know that I had been given
the greatest gift of all!
It was so great
that when I went to work at eight to start my shift,
I couldn't even remember the journey.
I must have been floating on air all the way.
The store that day
was full of frustrated customers in a fuddle
because they had left their shopping too late
and had no idea what gifts they wanted.
It didn’t matter to me.
They were all great as far as I was concerned.
Nothing was going to spoil my mood that day.
In fact,
I was so patient and happy that customers started to notice.
A few even sought out the store manager
and commented how cheery and helpful I had been.
At the end of the shift,
my manager told me
that I’d had so many compliments about me
that there will be a bonus in my pay that month!
If it was even possible,
my great mood got even better!
That’s not how I always was,
walking on air, full of joy.
To be honest,
all my life I’ve struggled with severe depression and anxiety.
Also,
it’s been tough sometimes,
like when my Dad died
and when I nearly lost my own life.
But now when things don’t go so well
I think of that gift
and it gives me the strength to take on whatever life throws at me.
So,
what was this special gift?
Before I say,
let me tell you about one of the gifts in that box.
It wasn’t the main one.
It was a T-shirt
with the name of my favourite band EVER on it
– Approaching Nirvana.
Another gift in that box was a CD.
On this was 15 of my most favourite tracks by the band.
My buddy insisted he put the CD on right there and then,
which I let him do.
"I’ll play track 15 first" said my friend.
How did he know that track, ‘Just a Dream,’
was my favourite?
I’d told him all my favourites last August
but this title wasn’t amongst them as it was a new release.
My buddy’s grin grew wider
and wider as I listened to the song.
About four seconds into the song
the music stopped!
Suddenly,
I was listening to a voice.
It was the voice of the band’s lead artist,
and he was talking to ME!
“Hi Kelsey,
it’s Andrew from Approaching Nirvana.
I wanted to let you know that you are strong,
and you can handle anything that life gives you.
Thank you so much for your support,
I know you're a big fan
and we really appreciate it,
it means the world to us.
I hope you have a Merry Christmas
and a Happy Holidays
and we’ll see you in 2016.”
I was in stunned silence,
those 20 seconds of audio
felt so surreal to me
and still do,
but I didn’t dare
to believe that it was real
in case the whole situation was just a dream.
I turned to face my friend
who was beaming like Father Christmas,
which at that moment, he was to me.
He had contacted the band
and they’d made this special recording
just for me.
I grabbed my buddy in the tightest bear-hug he’d ever had.
And I was so happy
I could have burst with joy!
Now, three years later
I still draw strength from my friend’s very special gift,
one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
It’s helped me through some of my darkest days
and is truly the gift
that has kept on giving.