I remember one year a long time ago, going out Christmas shopping with my Dad for my Mom's gifts. My Brother must have been away at school because he'd have been the voice of reason. It was so long ago that we actually shopped on Main Street in the Burg. My Dad had no idea about sizes so he would say to the Sales Woman, "She's a little shorter than you" or "She's about your size." and vague descriptions like that. When we finished gathering this bounty of gifts we brought them to my Aunt Bev's house where she would both hide them, and wrap them. My Dad and I were pretty damned pleased with ourselves. We'd done it, an 11 year old and his Dad, a man who could figure out and repair pretty much anything from a carburetor to a broken piece of furniture, had crossed a new threshold, we'd gotten Mom's presents ourselves with no help from Aunt Bev. After all Aunt had enough on her plate, why should she shop for our gifts to Mom as well? petite wedding dresses
Then came Christmas morning, my Dad and I couldn't wait to see Mom's reaction to our efforts. "Here Mom, open this one" said I as I passed her what I was sure she would just swoon over. And swoon she did, she unwrapped a the dress that she had told us about earlier in the week. She couldn't have been more pleased. My Dad and I exchanged glances. We hadn't purchased any such dress. In fact neither of us even thought about purchasing that dress as we'd both forgotten Mom's wishes. That was the theme for the rest of Mom's Christmas, every clothing gift she'd gotten was as much a surprise to my Dad and I, as it was to Her. You see my wonderful Aunt Bev, God rest Her soul, got a look at what my Dad and I had purchased and knew my Mom would not be happy with our efforts. Turns out we'd picked styles and colors that my Mom wouldn't have been caught dead wearing in sizes that ranged from petite to welcome to the Circus.
In the end, all were happy. Mom was pleased that we'd tried, and probably more happy that Aunt Bev intervened, and my Dad and I, while licking our wounds, were happy that Mom's Christmas had been saved. At any rate, the following year the old tradition of Aunt Bev buying Christmas clothing gifts for my Mom was reinstated, and stayed that way for as long as I could remember.