I thought the title would get your attention. It did, right?

Well, I want to tell you about my grandson. Dominico Giovanni. Or Nico.
His middle name, Giovanni means John in Italian. I like to think he’s named after me.

This is my latest Christmas story about Nico.

Nico always looks forward to Christmas. Not just for the gifts he’ll undoubtedly receive but he really likes to shop for presents to give others. Here is where the story begins.

Typically, Nico shops for my gift at his school, St. Peter’s. They have a shop where the students can purchase items to give their parents and friends. And he always looks for the smallest gift he can find.
The smallest.

He loves to see the expression on my face when I first lay eyes on my gift. “Look, Nanu, here’s your gift!”

But this year, Nico said he wasn’t going to do that. No more tiny gift. In fact, he promised, my gift was going to be the biggest. “Just you wait and see!”

And so, I did. On the morning we celebrated Christmas with two of my daughters and their families, Nico immediately showed me my gift under the tree. It was the biggest gift of them all!
“Nanu, I can’t wait for you to open it! I told you it was big!
You have to open it first! You’ll love it!”

Now, we normally open presents youngest to oldest, so that the kids don’t have to wait so long. This year we broke from tradition for this first special gift. To me.

I lifted it up from the floor. It was heavy. What could he have bought? At his school? I began to tear the paper. “Hurry up Nanu!” Nico said. I begin to open up the box, it was taped. Slowly, I open it and find…

A fireplace log!
What?
I admit my mind was moving slow, I didn’t get it! What is this for?
“Lift it up, Nanu!”
So I did.

And underneath it, was my gift. The smallest gift ever! About the size of a quarter.
And wrapped very tightly with enough tape to render opening it very difficult was my gift, a Chicago Bears key chain.

I wish I had someone take a picture to capture the look on his face! If you’ve ever seen pure joy that was the look!

What 12 year old puts this much thought, planning and scheming into a present? For me?
Why does he love to tease me? I haven’t any idea where he gets that gift from.

The gift may be small but the amount of love that went into it, immeasurably large.
And that moisture you think is a tear forming, nope, just something in my eye that’s all.

Buona Natale, Nico!
Go Bears! (next year)
Love, Nanu

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