Suitcase Full of Gifts

My mother-in-law came to town from Greece tonight. After she’d showered and eaten, it was after nine o’clock. Even though she was exhausted, and my son needed to go to bed, she insisted on unpacking her suitcase to give him all his gifts.

All of my in-laws do the exact same thing. It’s not the fact that they bring gifts, or that they want to give them to us. It’s the fact that they persist in doing that before doing anything else. Sometimes it’s done before we can even properly welcome them into our home. They are so excited to give the gifts and see the reaction, that they can’t contain themselves.

Most of the gifts were my son’s Christmas gifts, but she couldn’t even wait a few days to give them to him. My in-laws are generous to a fault, showering us with blessings, but I still find it funny that you can always count on the gift bazaar happening within minutes of arrival.

The funniest part is that my spousal unit will do the same thing when she goes to Greece. It’s like the “sickness” takes hold of her, and she turns into a different person. I’m usually tired and hungry after our 16-hour flight, but none of that matters until we deliver the gifts!