WHITE ELEPHANT CHRISTMAS PARTIES

Friday, December 15, 2006

Wheeeee! Tonight we get to go to another White Elephant Christmas party.

I detest the white elephant part of Christmas parties. I always have. It looks like I always will. It just seems so silly to me I can’t really get into the flow.

My wife’s former Sunday morning Bible class has had this kind of party for years. I always go as her guest. It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy every minute of it—all except the white elephant part.

She hasn’t been a member of that class for almost three years. But we continue to be invited and continue to go to these once a year parties. As Charlie Brown would say, “We need all the friends we can get.” It’s good to feel wanted. We enjoy the fellowship, food and fun. Everybody, except me, really gets into the white elephant thing. Not wanting to be a party pooper, I squeal, laugh, pretend disgust at an unwanted gift, and take a good gift from someone who really wants it—I’m a hypocrite all the way.

One year, when the party was in our home, an elder of the church brought an old piece of junk from a car. I got it! As soon as the party was over I went right outside to the garbage can and threw it in. I smiled with delight when the garbage truck took it away. The next year that same piece of junk showed up at our party. Everybody squealed, “Look, Clif brought that junk back.” The first giver of the gift joined in, my wife even agreed—“there it is.” I got loud. I was almost at the point of anger. “That is not it. I watched the garbage truck take it away.” I was ready to bet a million dollars. My wife put her hand on me and calmly and kindly said, “Yes, dear that is it. Paul had me get it out of the trash and return it to him.”