Christmas Gifts
Dear Frankie,
Every time I give my mom a gift, it’s a bust.
Last Christmas, I wanted to give her something special to show her how much I cared.
So, I dug up my best bone and left it for her to discover under the Christmas tree. When she saw it, she suggested I take it to the garage and chew on it there.
For her birthday, I left my ball by her bed so she would see it first thing when she woke up. She was not pleased and told me that I shouldn’t leave my toys lying around where she could trip over them. She reminded me that’s what my toy box was for — a place to keep my toys when I was not playing with them.
Christmas is coming, and honestly, I don’t want to be shot down again for giving her something that she doesn’t understand is a gift.
Barney
Dear Barney,
I’m sorry your mom didn’t realize that the bone and ball were a gift. Humans can be dense at times.
If the purpose of your gifts is to show your mom how much you care, how about doing things that would please her, such as putting away your toys, confining bone chewing to the garage, or not barking at the mailman. Whatever it is you do that gets on her nerves.
She won’t understand that the changes in your behavior are a gift, but she will know that you care about her feelings, which really is the greatest gift of all.
Best, Frankie
© 2025 Geneva Woodruff
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