The Best Christmas Gift ... Ever?

There we were, gathered at the annual Christmas Eve Lunch at Brian and Cheryl's house, the entire "fam" in attendance. The kids gleefully ripped open their gifts from their many, many, many aunts and uncles. (I am the oldest of nine children, in case you need reminding).

"Thank you so much!" they cried. "This is the best Christmas ever!" Katie, Colt, and Christian danced and pranced around the room, hoisting nerf guns and "rummy" cars and beauty sets. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" they cheered in childish glee.

It. Was. Magical.

Warmth flooded the hearts of all the merry gift givers. Ah, Christmas made fresh through the eyes of a child.

Finally, at long last, one of the sweetest, gentlest, kindest women in the world (name redacted to protect her identity), offered my three little angels a carefully chosen gift -- her first attempt as a newly minted aunt.

Like raptors, the children shredded the wrapping paper. They stared in unabashed horror at the content of the gift. And in one brief instant, the thankful cherubs transformed into crying, screaming, shrieking gremlins.

"DADDY DAYCARE?????? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

The once happy children burst into inconsolable sobs. Apparently -- much to the surprise of every adult in the room -- a DVD of Eddie Murphy's "Daddy Day Care" was THE WORST POSSIBLE GIFT TO GIVE ANY CHILD IN THE HISTORY OF ALL TIME.

The poor gift giver shrank like a little violet. Chris and I scrambled to recover the moment, but the damage was done. Pandora's Box had been opened, and the perpetuated evil that was "Daddy Day Care" could never, never be undone.

Or could it?

As time passed, the nerf gun broke, the wheels fell off the race car, the tiny toy pieces from the beauty set were lost. And yet, the "worst gift ever" remained. And not only remained, grew beloved.

No other movie could produce fits of giggles from Christian (who would often point to Black men and humiliatingly shout, "There's Daddy Day Care!"). No other movie was more requested by Katie. And no other movie would have ever taught Colt to sing at the top of his lungs, "Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up!"

More importantly -- perhaps most importantly of all -- our now-infamous Daddy Day Care moment taught everyone, big and small alike, the importance of gratitude for whatever gift God gives. Because the hated, unwanted gift your aunt gives you this Christmas ...

... may just turn out to be the Best Christmas Gift -- Ever!