"Here Dad, I made this for you," he said smiling.
A one-of-a-kind gift for me with love from my son.
And being an old pro at accepting kid creations, my reaction was enthusiastic enough to show appreciation yet generic enough to hide the fact that I didn't know what I was holding.
"Cool dude! How did you make this?"
Trust me, it's the best response.
If you play your cards right, they will gab enough about the gift that you will figure it out.
It?
"It's like your old one."
Is?
"There are compartments."
A?
"For different kinds of money."
Wallet!
Well of course it is.
A wallet -- with compartments for big bills and the ones more commonly found in my pocket. Now I see it.
A new dad might have jump the gun and just say thanks for the reinforced handkerchief. Or the pencil holder. Or the sunglasses case.
Not this seasoned gift-receiving dad.
No, as far as the artist knows, I saw wallet all along.
Now, I have to make sure this doesn't end up going through the wash.
There's no coming back from that mistake with this gift.
(Copyright 2011 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)