Christmas Gifts
I grew up with the story of Emmet and his mom wanting to give each other special Christmas gifts and still own what I believe to be a first edition of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas published in 1971. It’s the one from my childhood.
The story is a riff on O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”, the tale of a financially struggling married couple who attempt to give each other the perfect presents only to be thwarted by each other’s sacrifices. The husband sells his watch to buy his wife combs for her long hair, which she has cut and sold in order to buy him a new watch chain.
In the children’s version, which you may know already through book or Muppet form, the married humans become mother and son otters who are living through hard times having lost Pa. Each wants to brighten the life of the other, but their timing is bad as all the animals are doing pretty poorly in Frogtown Hollow.
Like the O. Henry story, both Emmet and Ma make sacrifices that don’t turn out as planned. Having both learned of a talent show with a big prize, Ma sells Emmet’s tool chest that he uses for odd jobs to help financially, and Emmet puts a hole in the bottom of the washtub Ma uses to do laundry as their main source of income. Ma uses the money to buy fabric for a dress so she can sing in the contest. Emmet converts the washtub so he can perform in a jug-band. Neither wins the contest, so neither can buy the planned gifts, and each has put their small family at risk, having lost the tools they use to earn money.
Both O. Henry’s story and that of Emmet and his Ma end with a moral, but Emmet and Ma also get a happy ending and a practical lesson for all of us.
As Emmet’s band and Ma travel back at night to their homes, they pause outside Doc Bullfrog’s Riverside Rest to play and sing, unknowingly performing to an appreciate crowd. This results in Doc Bullfrog offering a new gig to the musicians who can now use their love of music to make a living.
What we learn from Emmet and Ma is that the gift of a piano (for Ma) and a guitar (for Emmet) weren’t necessary for a Merry Christmas nor for a happy ending. Rather, Emmet, Ma, and the boys now can experience in their daily lives their love of music, bringing happiness to those who listen. We see throughout the story that what makes everyone happy are experiences together, whether it’s singing, reading to each other, or going down the slide that Pa built.
I was reminded of Emmet Otter when listening to a recent episode of the podcast Hidden Brain on gift giving. The advice, which I’ve heard repeatedly, is that experiences make the best gifts. The new toy, game, electronic, car, etc. age or are forgotten. It’s called hedonic adaptation. We simply get used to whatever the thing is and barely notice it anymore. But we live experiences and then relive them through memories.
Emmet Otter has long been a part of the Christmas experience for me. My parents read it to me when I was little. Then I read it to myself. When I got older, my dad and stepmom would take us to what was then called Lake Buena Vista (now Disney Springs) to watch a Christmas nativity play. My grandmother would join us, and I would read the story to everyone as we drove there. Eventually, I read it to my own child.
I don’t mean this to be advice on gift giving. Rather, I want to remind myself that the experience of Christmas is the best gift that I can give myself. I plan to read some stories, drink some hot chocolate, watch my favorite movies, cook a nice meal, bake, and simply sit in front of the Christmas tree. Okay, trees because I have three and, yes, I really like Christmas.
No matter what gifts I get or don't, whether my own attempts to give gifts are successful or not, I will play piano and sing Christmas carols knowing that I’d never get a job offer from Doc Bullfrog but enjoying each song. I’ll relive all of the Christmas experiences of the past that brought me so much joy, and I’ll savor the experience of quiet, peace, and good will from this Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you!
