My parents love to make a big deal out giving gifts for Christmas. They go overboard every year despite protests from my brother and me... and it's really sweet, though it tends to make us feel pretty bad since they don't have all that much money and the two of us are adults (I'm 29, he's 26) and probably too old for all of it.
Still, every year they ask for Christmas lists from us and then they try to get thoughtful gifts that generally have nothing to do with what they made us ask for.
So, about four years ago, we were opening gifts on Christmas morning. We were down to our bigger gifts (I can't remember what mine was) and I watched my Dad open his. It was this hideous leather bomber jacket that my Mom got him from Wilson's. I could see how excited my Mom was and it looked like my Dad really liked it, so I said to them, "wow, that's really awesome! That's gonna look great on you, Dad," even though it wouldn't.
Fast forward to the next Christmas. We're down to our bigger gifts, and I definitely remember what I got this time. I tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a Wilson's Leather box. Knowing full well that I'd never ask for anything from Wilson's ever and figuring it was just a recycled box, I joked before opening it... "ha, what is this, a bomber jacket?"
Of course, it was. In fact, it was the same exact bomber jacket my Dad got the year before. We had matching leather bomber jackets now. And I could see on both of their faces how hurt they were by my joking. My Mom told me that she thought I loved my Dad's so much that it would be a great gift. My Dad handed me the money for the jacket right then and there. It was awful and I felt like the worst person ever.
One bright side... my parents stick to the lists, now.
