The Gift of the Magi(c)

Many of you know that I have the good fortune of having the 24th of December as my birthday. I have been told many times that others see that more as a curse than a blessing. For too long I conceded to that opinion.

It was on my 5th birthday that I found out that very few others shared the same date nor the same month. In those days we had Channel 2´s ¨Lucky Two Ranch¨- a kid´s program that allowed birthday parties on air. December being a slow month for such made for the party to remember for a lifetime. My dad took my older brother Tommy, myself and a couple of friends over to the TV station for our local debut. My mother was at home with my brothers Ronnie and Rusty watching her “Christmas child” on TV.

We had to wait till after the trip for the actual party at home with the cake and festivities, but I was granted one gift before leaving – my new shoes.

Those of my age, the few of you left who can still see or have someone read to you, understand the significance of that sort of gift in a household with four boys.

I was really proud of those shoes – they were new and they were mine! All of that didn´t matter the moment that Tony Glen (the host) asked what I had gotten for my birthday. The lights in my eyes and the camera on me and the microphone in my face, I proudly blurted out, ¨a new pair of shoes.¨ I didn´t expect laughter from the audience or the stage hands, so when prodded for other information about gifts, I simply said, ¨That´s all.¨ At that moment, all the thrill of the occasion seemed to disappear.

Both parents expressed their mortification at my seeming lack of gratitude for the other gifts that had been given. This especially since they were separate from the Christmas presents waiting for the next morning.

I know that for the next eleven years, birthdays seemed to be lost in the holidays for me. Granted, life was full with school and church and neighborhood activities: playground sports, newspaper routes, lawnmowing appointments – and of course – more school.

Day after Labor Day blues and the first day of school 1963.

Nothing much to talk about until I saw David Strickland, one of my dad’s “notorious” Sunday School students, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. No, I had to notify as many of the guys and girls as I could to feed David´s angst at being a fish out of water.

Midway through this time of friendly greeting, I noticed an unknown but very attractive brunette coming our direction. I stopped long enough to see her whisper something to David, have a reply from him, then turn to walk back to the group she was with.

When asked for her name, David laughed and said, ¨you´ll never know¨.

That thought lingered with me all day till time for Algebra I. I walked into class and was thrilled to see HER sitting there in a row with an empty desk behind. God was smiling on me that day.

I found a new purpose in life just to come to class to sit behind her so I could hide from Mrs. McGloughlin while I did my best to make sure that THIS GIRL was totally aware of who I was and how much I wanted her in my world. As time passed, I grabbed every chance I could to be wherever she was.

The need for homework assignments led to many bike rides to her house under false pretenses. Three months felt like years. These months felt like we had known each other a lifetime.

The warm summer weather gave way to the mild chill of December.

 I got the nerve to invite her to our annual Christmas Choir program and fellowship afterward. Hearing her say, “Yes,” gave me needed confidence and determination to ask her to go steady.

Another “Yes” and my heart was soaring.      

I could not have imagined a more beautiful Christmas. I managed to find a simple charm bracelet that has become full with commemoratives for a life rich with blessings and memories that make Christmas very special for me. When this beautiful lady wears that bracelet, I will always be reminded that the spirit of Christmas is present all year… Not just late December.

Oh, Mom and Dad, thank you too.

~ David Joyner