Holiday Gift Ideas

The holiday season is here, which means holiday shopping. In our family we have a tradition we call the “thrift shop Christmas”, which was born of necessity. We have 5 children, and of course the kids feel obligated to buy for each other, and for us. Throw in grandparents and a few sibling’s girlfriends, and we’re talking an expensive proposition for adults, let alone children. So several years ago we decreed that all gifts would come from thrift or second-hand shops, be purchased used, or be home-made, and would have a price of $5.00 or less. Since then our Christmas gift exchanges have been quite memorable. The kids all have great, if somewhat warped, senses of humor, so most of the gifts are humorous in nature. For example, one son got for his brother a HUGE caricature-type picture of Mark Twain, with piercing eyes that follow you around the room. It’s a very nice picture, but hilarious. He paid $5.00 at a thrift store. Another was a t-shirt that said something like “Jones Family Reunion 1988 – Littletown, Arkansas (I don’t remember the actual town). It was well worn, and VERY tacky. It’s worn by a son with pride, even though we have no idea as to the identity of the Jones family. Like I said, it’s our warped sense of humor. Another time my oldest boy, who always has a huge mug of coffee or soda in his hand received from his brother a “mug” made from a 5 gallon bucket, with a heavy duty towel rack for a handle. It said on the front “Too Much Mug To Chug”. He still has that mug, and it added to one of our most memorable Christmases. The funniest was when my wife cleaned out the kitchen cupboards, and donated a box of coffee cups to the local Goodwill store. My kids were shopping for thrift shop Christmas gifts a month or so later, and found the cups on the shelf. They bought them and gave them back to us for Christmas. It was hilarious. Before you think we’re too weird (actually we are…) my wife and I have a nice gift for each of our kids, but the thrift shop Christmas is still the highlight. Hilarious, and very memorable.

But where was I going with this? Oh yes, holiday gifts. Books, DVDs, and CDs, serious and humorous, are welcome and oft-given gifts in our gift exchanges. I lean on Amazon.com and Half.com for many Christmas gifts. There you can buy used books, movies, and CDs, often for as little as a few dollars each. Given that, here are a few items to consider this Christmas.

”Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness” is a book by Pete Earley, a well known journalist. He writes about his son, who, while suffering a significant mania, broke into a stranger’s house and took a bubble bath. This act put him into the criminal justice system, not into the mental health system. This is one of the best books of its kind ever written. It’s compelling, informative, and a real page-turner. The author doesn’t paint a rosy picture of the mental health system, nor should he. It’s required reading for anyone whose lives are touched by a mood or mental disorder in any way. Give it to your mother-in-law if you want her to understand why you handle your bipolar child the way you do. It’s an eye-opener. You can buy this one as low as $5.85 used, but I’d think about going new on this, you’ll be passing it around.