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Original poster

What's the nicest Christmas thing someone has done?

44 replies

JustLyra · 05/12/2021 22:35

This time of year is always tough for me because of bad memories of abusive parents.

So, to contrast the miseries of memories and the threads about bad things what's the nicest Christmas thing someone has ever done? Either for you or that you've seen done for someone else.

I have two. When I was 6 my teacher knew that school holidays were a nightmare because of my parents. My siblings regularly used to steal food. We had a school fayre, but I didn't have any money for a raffle ticket. She decided to a have a prize for something in our class. I can't remember what it was and I won a raffle ticket for the stall she was doing.
My raffle ticket won a hamper - it had those little boxes of cereal, some of the little pots of milk from the dinner hall, some of the little cartons of juice and little mini sweet bars. It was the best Christmas present ever. I kept it in my schoolbag and my brother made sure I got to sneak have them every day. I hadn't thought about it for many years, but it came up when I was an adult and I suddenly realised what she'd done.

The other nicest is tied to my childhood. The Christmas after I married my DH my wonderful MIL bought me both a Mr Frosty and the little tiny dairy milk machine that takes 2ps. I had wanted both of them as a kid, but never got them.

OP posts:
Ludoole · 07/12/2021 03:09

When my dh died 3 weeks before Christmas he had recorded a final cd in which he said I had loved him so well and I had too much love to give to stay alone and he wished with all his heart that I would find someone special to be my second chapter. That sentence saved my life.

PrayingForChristmas · 07/12/2021 03:13

The MN secret Santa
Was really speacial

tensmum1964 · 07/12/2021 08:54

@PrayingForChristmas

The MN secret Santa Was really speacial
I would love to know what the MN secret Santa was.
balboacoffee · 07/12/2021 09:22

Lovely post

RedHelenB · 07/12/2021 09:26

@JustLyra

This time of year is always tough for me because of bad memories of abusive parents.

So, to contrast the miseries of memories and the threads about bad things what's the nicest Christmas thing someone has ever done? Either for you or that you've seen done for someone else.

I have two. When I was 6 my teacher knew that school holidays were a nightmare because of my parents. My siblings regularly used to steal food. We had a school fayre, but I didn't have any money for a raffle ticket. She decided to a have a prize for something in our class. I can't remember what it was and I won a raffle ticket for the stall she was doing.
My raffle ticket won a hamper - it had those little boxes of cereal, some of the little pots of milk from the dinner hall, some of the little cartons of juice and little mini sweet bars. It was the best Christmas present ever. I kept it in my schoolbag and my brother made sure I got to sneak have them every day. I hadn't thought about it for many years, but it came up when I was an adult and I suddenly realised what she'd done.

The other nicest is tied to my childhood. The Christmas after I married my DH my wonderful MIL bought me both a Mr Frosty and the little tiny dairy milk machine that takes 2ps. I had wanted both of them as a kid, but never got them.

I always wanted ine if those dairy milk machines too, never got one though A neighbour had some spare lights that they put up on our house for the children after they'd been through a bit of a hard time which was a nice surprise coming home from school.
stokiemum62 · 07/12/2021 09:38

I was a junior doctor with two very young children and was working most of Christmas in Manchester. My husband took the kids to visit his parents in Hampshire and fell at an ice-rink and dislocated his shoulder the day before Christmas Eve so couldn’t drive them home. It looked like I was going to be spending my only time off over Christmas without my family. I was devastated.
As soon as he heard my younger brother left his pub at the busiest time of year and flew to Southampton and drove them all home. It was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. I love him to bits.

Somethingsnappy · 07/12/2021 09:38

@Avarua and @Rawmum30, how wonderful. What gorgeous little souls xx

alsonotmyname · 07/12/2021 20:04

My mil always bought the dc's advent calendars but died unexpectedly just before Christmas one year, my dear friend has bought them one every year since even though she now has dgc of her own. We haven't seen much of her over the last 18 months due to Covid and I presumed that after a decade of buying them she would stop but she turned up last week with a delivery for them

SparklingLime · 07/12/2021 20:23

I hope @JustLyra sees how wonderfully her thread has taken off. Such a beautiful and heartbreaking story, OP.

Original poster
JustLyra · 08/12/2021 12:18

@SparklingLime

I hope *@JustLyra* sees how wonderfully her thread has taken off. Such a beautiful and heartbreaking story, OP.
I have. There are some lovely lovely stories shared.

Thank you :)

OP posts:
Santahatesbraisedcabbage · 08/12/2021 12:23

My ils aren't very nice people (been nc 7 years).. When dh was a teenager they started leaving him alone over Xmas while they went on holiday every year... I had only met him one November but my adult dc met him within a few weeks (felt guilty not telling them!). They really liked him and wanted him round for Xmas day. So after present giving he came round. We had all gotten him some small gifts. He had the best time ever he said. He makes our Christmas special and we will be having our 10th one together this year..

hulahooper2 · 08/12/2021 12:26

My dd bought e an expensive pair of boots I loved first Chris we had after her dad left , to cheer me up , there were lots of tears , she is the best , so thoughtful.

Maggiesgirl · 08/12/2021 12:43

I was a single parent, so my Mum always made sure I had a nice present. The year she died nobody thought of it. My DSILs asked what I had got for Christmas and I had to say nothing, apart from a box of Bath salts that I had given DS the money to buy.

The following year younger DSIL turned up two days before Christmas with a huge box, not to be opened before Christmas Day (she had driven an hour at 8.5 months PG as well)

When I opened it was a series of boxes. On top of each subsidence box was chocs, make up, smelliest, fancy socks, so on until I got to a tiny box. In it was a locket with a pic of my son.

30 years later it still makes me cry when I think of it. Bloody love my DSILs

3scape · 08/12/2021 12:47

I don't do Christmas because of my own awful parents. But i also have a lovely memory from Christmas because of a teacher. There was a tree in our school and a little gift would be on the tree for everyone and each class had a chance to get theirs on a certain day. Everyone was always very excited about it. I was always wary as I knew my parents would take it off me (strict about Christmas, not allowed to open things before, only allowed certain things). So this year the teachers got me a lovely little stationery set with the instruction from "father Christmas" to keep it in my school drawer and a box of chocolates for sharing with the whole class (as I never had sweets to share on the last day of term like everyone else). I remember being so happy I could give out sweets for once. I still like giving people little unexpected gifts and handing out sweets on Halloween even though I'll never do trick or treat. Because of that teacher I really developed a love of giving gifts. Which, as I understand is one of the things people love about Christmas

Thetodolist · 08/12/2021 12:52

Beautiful thread!

Emerald5hamrock · 08/12/2021 14:17

@Avarua That is really sweet.
This thread has inspired me to do a good deed a random act of kindness this Christmas.

MadeOfStarStuff · 08/12/2021 14:33

I was travelling home for Christmas one year by train on Christmas Eve, late afternoon as I’d had to work. There were potential issues with flooding on part of the line. Without me asking, my best friend put herself on standby to rescue me if needed, didn’t drink, made sure she had a full tank of petrol and made sure there would be room for me to join her extended family Christmas. I didn’t need rescuing in the end but I’m stil grateful for her kindness

Judithand · 08/12/2021 17:16

DS spent his first year in hospital, unfortunately he was too ill to come home for Christmas. The staff in HDU put in Trojan efforts to get me equipment to borrow to bring him home on Christmas Eve for a few hours for the first time. It was such a big push and I’ll always appreciate how hard they worked.

On Christmas Day we came in to see him and one of the porters gave me the biggest hug when he heard we couldn’t bring DS home for the night. There was so much compassion in that hug i still well up when I think of it.

A local charity arrived at my house last Christmas with some food vouchers. But there was also a gift wrapped beauty set for myself. Oh how I cried!!! It touched me so much that someone went to the effort of wrapping a gift just for me.

Our son has amazing nurses that have been with us for his whole life. His first Christmas home he was very frail. On Christmas Eve one of his nurses came dressed as Santa - we have the most precious memories and photos to cherish forever.

TrashyPanda · 08/12/2021 17:23

Last year, DDs flatmate was supposed to be visiting family in England. Obviously that wasn’t happening.

DD invited her to come and celebrate with us. She told us she knew this wouldn’t be a problem, because we are always so welcoming to her friends.

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