A Christmas Gift

My daughter is all grown up.

A few weeks ago, she came over to my house to visit. After she left, she called me and said something about Sports Illustrated magazine, to which I responded with my customary "Whah?"

This morning, December 25th, 2006 she came over to the house with her husband and my granddaughter. We exchanged presents while I played with my 6 and a half month old granddaughter, making stupid sounds and acting as if I had completely forgotten how to speak normal adult English. You know how that goes.

She handed me a gift...actually a scroll with a ribbon on it. Everyone in the family joked about how I had just graduated from somewhere. I opened up the scroll, and inside was a Rick Reilly article from Sports Illustrated and a Certificate.

Here is the article, and you have to read it to understand the story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/Rick_Reilly/11/27/reilly1204/index.html

You know, you go through life as a parent and you try your damnedest to teach values to your kids. Most of the time you stand around scratching your head because they can't keep their room clean for more than 24 hours, and you wonder if you can't get the clean your room message through, then how in the world are you ever going to get the important stuff across?

The certificate read in part that a donation to the "Nothing But Nets" foundation to fight malaria in Africa had been made in the name of my family by my daughter, who - apparently while I wasn't looking - had become quite the special adult.

My daughter is all grown up now, and what a nice Christmas gift to have received - confirmation.

Merry Christmas everyone. Please count your blessings.

www.nothingbutnets.net