Herman School of Business
The Best Christmas Ever...
About four months ago my wife found a pile of Christmas presents from last year in one of my daughters’ bedroom. The labels were still attached and the presents never left their box. We discussed last year’s gifts and they included a pile of books I still haven’t cracked open. In fact we both had “stuff” everywhere we have never used from past holidays.
We told the kids that we would accept no more gifts. Nothing. We were overflowing with stuff and running out of space. The economy was crashing and the thought that the kids would go spend any more money on an unnecessary item was just too much. The kids took it a step further…No one could buy a gift for each other…you had to make something. Everyone jumped on board…the grandchildren would still get their load of stuff, but the rest of us would only receive a hand-made something by every other adult. Maggie, me, the five kids, and their spouses or mates would make a gift for everyone.
You could use items from around the house, in the barn, or recycle something out of prior stuff you had accumulated. You could bake something, draw something or create something from scratch. The gifts we each exchanged were priceless.
I made a two sided puzzle for Bob, the artist who makes puzzles. Mine included a side with riddle questions about Bob. His wife got a picture of a human brain with the title, A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING BOB…with humorous portions of Bob’s brain marked for clarification. There was an autographed photo of me with Barack Obama who noted what a great guy I was for Shannon. Colleen got a one hundred year old glass paperweight with her bio under the glass. Kelly got the wooden car we built together 32 years ago when she was in preschool. Maggie was featured in a local newspaper recently for her work on historical Reisterstown and I framed that for her. Jimmy received two pictures of a star athlete at his favorite High School…I still looked pretty good as a Soccer and Lacrosse player! Shannon’s practice husband’s (they live together) last name is Kennedy…the picture of me with John F. Kennedy noted that “…as long as Herman thinks we are related you will be fine, signed JFK.”
Julie made T-shirts that all had a different “HERMANISM” on them for everyone. Maggie won by a landslide, she made pocketbooks for each of the girls out of the cover of HERMANISMS.
Shannon is the social worker in the family. We each got a copy of PAY IT FORWARD with an instruction to perform tasks to help others this year. I’ll do it Shannon I promise. Colleen hand-made beautiful note cards and Kelly’s family gave wonderful new coffee mugs with pictures drawn by the kids.
No one went broke…no one stressed at the Mall…no one gave a gift that will be forgotten and left in a box. How did it go with everyone? Did they want to go back to store bought stuff? Not a chance. Every person loudly proclaimed…no more gifts unless you make them!
- Posted: 29 December 2008
- Comments: 0
- Category: Business success
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