Every year we are invited to a special event. An event like no other. My niece’s birthday. On this special day, Kyley is surrounded with family and showered with gifts, food and cake. Although this time seems very fun for her, there is no way to spend quality time with my favorite niece. Sure, she’s my only niece, but that does not make here any less of my favorite.
Anyway, while she is playing with her friends, unwrapping all of the gifts and stuffing her face with cake I stand quietly in the background documenting the occasion with photos. You can check them out here.
When all the fun subsides and the cake begins to settle in her stomach, I present my gift. What is it you ask? A gift card. Not just any giftcard, this one has two certain stipulations.
- She cannot spend the money for 30 days.
- She cannot spend the money without us there.
What does this mean to her? Fun shopping with her aunt and uncle! She is only 6 and does not really notice the 30 days, so the wait is no problem. In addition, she loves spending time us. What more could she ask for in getting to spend an entire day with her aunt and uncle?!
What does this mean to me? Fun shopping with our niece! Many things can happen in a matter of 30 days. Including forgetting about the shower of gifts from her birthday. That’s right. If you asked me who gave me what on my birthdays 20 years ago, there is no way I could tell you. However, if you ask my niece what she get’s from us each year, she will quickly tell you that we take her shopping and then she buys with her giftcard. My hope is that she remembers this forever. We also get the pleasure of spending an entire day with the exuberant, hyper and innocent girl. This (my favorite part) I will remember forever.
So, while others spend hours looking for a present only to spend a few minutes with Kyley while she unwraps and tosses it to the side, we get to spend hours with my niece while she picks out exactly what she wants. Afterwords, we grab a bite to eat and maybe even stop by the candy store after dinner.