Consumer Confidence

I had already been Christmas shopping with my son earlier this season. It was a rush job. We were having lunch at the closest In 'N' Out to our house, which happens to be adjacent to the closest Wal-Mart. It is not my practice or my pleasure to shop at Wal-Mart, but my son assured me that he could get the things he needed for his friends there. He had his own money, and it was refreshing to have him aiming his consumerism at targets other than himself.
It didn't occur to me much, as we waded through throngs of bargain hunters, but this was an evolutionary step for my child. For so many years, I have pulled the strings that made his gift-giving happen from behind the scenes. To his credit, he has always been good about signing his name to the card, and even helping wrap. His mother and I have been the expressly pleased recipients of many a handmade pencil holder or an original work of art. But this was different. He wanted to buy his friends a toy. He knew what they wanted, and he wanted to give it to them.
As I said, I was more distracted by my own conflicted Wal-Mart issues to take note of this rite of passage. That's why I was so flattered when he asked me to come along with him when, just the other day, he decided to go look for the perfect gift for his mother. As we wandered through the aisles, I listened to him describe his plan. He was directed. He knew what he was after, and he wanted to make sure it was just the right thing. "And best of all," he confided, "You won't have to help me with the money."
The surprise for my wife awaits. The surprise for me has already come and gone. I got my gift early this year.