My 10 year old Son made me instantly Rich Christmas day !!

Like any parent Christmas for me is about my child.  And as a single Mum for 10 years to a little boy, pulling the resources together to play Santa and Mum has at times been beyond challenging. I’ve always told myself not to wish the Santa years away as I know they will pass too quickly, but the fact is, the lead up to Christmas is usually a massive pressure to me, and to be honest, when my son says Christmas is only 3 weeks away, and I start seeing Christmas merchandise at the shop, in my head I go oh sh*t no – seriously? not already!  I scramble through my phone to double check the date.  I’m not just talking about the pressure to come through with the goods on Christmas day, it’s the emotional hit that Christmas can bring.

Facebook and Instagram are filled with people’s ‘highlight reels’ at Christmas. You know the ones right?  I’ve never compared myself to others ever, but when I see someone drinking champagne with grandparents, particularly a nana,  I instantly go through a period of grief again, I want mine back.  Something Santa cannot deliver. I so badly want to see her coming through the door larger than life calling out with her British accent ‘Yoo Hoo’,  her famous trifle in hands, while we sit back and talk about how unbearable the heat is.

One of my greatest memories of my nana was when as a child having braces on my teeth, her and pop would take me to get them adjusted, I was often in agony and on the way home from the city , they would call in to this particular jewellery store and let me choose something sparkly which would shift my focus from the throbbing. It’s just one of those random memories that has stuck with me through my life, I don’t know why.

The reality check is now she won’t be walking through the door again, and I usually play that scene in my head with her and her triffle and beautiful spirit followed by bursting into tears. I alwayd wipe the tears and quickly fake a smile, I don’t want Christmas time to be miserable for my own child right?, she would never want that. In fact my little boy was the love of her life, she referred to him always not by his name but as ‘her baby’.

I eat 9 rumballs right now as I type this blog in between tears, I hear her voice in my mind saying Ney Ney you’re going to get fat fat fat, stop eating rumballs for a minute and type.

So here is what has happened…….

Christmas Eve I’m at the local shops, getting some last minute bits and pieces. I need to get some things from Santa that I don’t want my son to see them. By nature he is a giver, I say to him would you like to go get me a present? His eyes light up!  He usually makes something, or spends $5 on the Christmas stall at school for me.  So a shop present is a big deal for him at this point.

I gave him $15 and say ok you have 10 minutes, just go into the cheap shop and there will be heaps of bits and pieces.  He said Mum, Im not going to the cheap shop today. I figured he will go into another shop see the prices of things and quickly scoot down to the $2 shop with just a few minutes left to spare.

Im standing in the middle of the shopping centre, and he is walking towards me with a bag from Michael Hill Jewellery Store, I’m instantly confused. He gets in the car and I take this picture still confused. And line of questioning begins..

Where have you been I ask? ‘Christmas shopping’  he says so matter of fact.  My mind is ticking and I’m trying to work it out. I am trying to think how he knows about jewellery stores. Then I remembered last week we were in this posh jewellery store after getting groceries, I had just watched a ‘law of attraction video’ and when I saw a ring for $350,000 I asked the lady about it, as I was simply putting my crazy ‘limitless wish list’ to the universe – I always say anything is possible and I try to teach my son that too, think big dream big, never say never.  She didn’t seem enthusiastic about me trying it on though and clutched it tightly, so I didn’t  (think the scene from pretty woman) – I exited the store and instead took a photo of it in the window. My son said well she made a big mistake and I burst into laughter, he has not of course  seen the movie. And that was the only jewellery store he had ever been into.

So we get home and traditionally we go to this one rock on beach and eat fish and chips Christmas Eve.

When we get there my son starts talking to this guy that has this big tricycle wrapped in xmas lights with a blow up couch in the back like a big chariot, I wonder what he is doing as they chat. The guy takes him in a big circle on the path and then back to me, he gets out with the jewellery bag and I suddenly realise,  it dawned on me that is the jewellery store where my Nana used to take me back in the braces era as a little girl.   Merry Christmas Mummy he says and presents me with a ring box wrapped perfectly with a ribbon. I’m still in disbelief at this point.

I open it to find what looks like the shape of the exact same ring that we had seen the week before!!

At this point I am sobbing, and asking a million questions.

He had apparently had gone into Michael Hill Jewellery, the lady asked him ‘can I help you’ he said yes I’m looking for a gift for my Mummy, she said what are you thinking? He said he spotted a ring in her hand she was polishing. He said Id actually like that particular ring please, and she said oh ok, and he said for $15 too. Oh ok, do you have any more to spend was her reply, he said he remembered he had a dollar in his pocket so he could spend $16. The lady then got the manager and my son explained what he wanted. The manager said well its Xmas so we can do that deal for you!  Oh and could you gift wrap that too please he apparently asked?! Of course we can she said. And that is how it all unfolded.

I asked him why would you go to a store like that when he only had 10 minutes and not enough money ? he said Mum you start at the top and you work down from there, not at the bottom, you taught me that remember? And plus I knew it would be fine, anything is possible right? And don’t say I did ‘not have enough money’ you were not counting on something bigger than us chipping in.

This Christmas I made my first triffle to my Nanas recipe, I walked into my pops house calling out ‘Yoo Hoo’, and showing off the ring. While we sat there and ate triffle my pop said, I have the feeling Nana had something to do with that ring you know? It was the best Xmas I have had in years. I have only just noticed the photo of my nana is right next to my pop in my xmas triffle photo! That’s her alright sticking her face in..

The love from my Nana in spirit, the tenacity and kind heart of my son, that ‘law of attraction’ video and the generosity of the staff at Michael Hill Jewellery have ended my year on the biggest high of all time. There are not enough words to show you the gratitude I carry.

I hope you look for the signs that your loved ones are working for you behind the scenes. And just know that they are with you over this holiday season which I know from personal experience can be a trying time if you have lost someone and are trying to put on a brave face .

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Renee Eaves xoxo

please note: I have no affiliation with this jeweller other than as a customer that has spent $16.  They clearly are just connected to the Christmas Spirit and for that I send my heartfelt thanks.