The Unexpected Christmas Gift

I wish I had been video recording. 
I should have recording last year's opening presents....and the year before...and the year before.

But, I didn't.

I guess I never thought to, since it wouldn't really be anything exciting to watch later.  No matter how loved the gift was...hidden under the wrapping paper and bows....it was always the same reaction.

Tristen would look at the box intently and not say a word.  You could tell in his eyes he was enthralled.  We always bought him something from his list that we knew he wanted, so we never thought we would see a "bad" reaction.   I think if he didn't particularly care for a gift he would put it aside more quickly than the others without uttering a word.

We are quiet and watch him intently.

We longed for a shout or a gasp or a squeal of excitement.  But that just wasn't Tristen's way. 

"What do you think?" we would ask cautiously. 
"Do you like it?"

"Yes." sometimes accompanied by his infamous half-grin.

He would take his toys and play quietly in his room for hours.  We knew he liked his gifts.  We knew he was happy and we had made his Christmas wishes come true.

After 16 years of this tradition we were content in it.  You can imagine our surprise when this year, everything unexpectedly changed.

He waited his turn.
He started to rip off the paper.
His eyes went wide and his mouth made a large "0" shape as he sucked in the air around him in excitement....."I LOVE THIS!"  He exclaimed....hardly able to contain the emotion.

What is happening?  Is this my child?  Is this some sort of once-in-lifetime thing?

Tristen started to squeal with glee as he started reading the package.

Josh and I looked at each other in shock.

Next gift.

We watched intently again.  Maybe we imagined it....

"Minecraft!" His eyes danced and he posed holding up the shirt with a REAL smile on his face...none of the fake gumby smiles of the past.

It continued on...gift after gift.

There was no Wii U....the number one item on his list we just couldn't afford.  There was no Super Smash Bros. game....second on his list.   Only one thing in his top five most wanted gifts.  And yet, he was over joyed and he felt it...he showed it and he shared it with us all. 

Seeing him with true excitement that we had missed out on for the past 16 christmas'.....worth the wait.

I think of how I may have taken something that simple for granted; if it had always been there, I would have missed out on this feeling of witnessing a Christmas miracle.