Christmas gifts for adult kids

My kids are almost grown and for whatever reason this year I’m having a hard time thinking up good ideas for Christmas gifts. Last year I had spurs custom made for each kid. I’m usually pretty good at coming up with a good idea for a present. This year, I’m struggling.

My grandpa always got each grandkid one good present. He said Christmas presents are supposed to be something you’d never buy for yourself.

One year he and my mom split the cost and bought the spurs I still wear to this day. I don’t know what they cost, but they have my initials on them and they are stainless steel. Today a similar set cost about eight hundred. I’ve had these for almost forty years.

Another year my grandpa bought me a 410 shotgun. I was about six or seven years old. I was afraid to shoot it because it might kick me too hard. After a little coaxing I did shoot it and I realized a 410 doesn’t have much kick at all.

Over the years he bought me a craftsman tool box then the next few years he bought me enough tools to fill it up.

The one thing he bought me that I might buy for my son is a punching bag and some boxing gloves. My son is small for his age and I worry about the big kids bullying him. My grandpa was the fourth division boxing champion in World War II.

He bought me a set of gloves and a heavy bag. One time in middle school a kid picked a fight with me right in front of the football coach. I ducked and dived his punches for quite awhile, finally I hit him one time and broke his nose. After that day no one ever messed with me again at school.

It seems kind of odd to consider boxing gloves as a Christmas present, but on the other hand I’m tired of worrying about some mean kid hurting him. I know one thing for sure, not a nickel of my money will be spent on video games. I rather my kid kick rocks and whittle than sit inside and play video games. I guess I’m old school, but after all Jesus was born in a barn and grew up in a carpentry shop.

James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.