This time of year brings to mind the famous 1986 Steve Martin “A Holiday Wish” sketch from Saturday Night Live:
While none of us may have received $30 million tax-free each month like Steve Martin wished, many of us were fortunate enough to have warm childhood memories of tearing open that holiday gift that was exactly what we wanted. What were those childhood gifts for BDBF attorneys?
Tim Canney
Street Hockey Gear
In the early 90s, rollerblades were still a relatively new phenomenon. Everybody I knew wanted them.
When I was 6 or so, my brother and I each got a pair of rollerblades and neon-colored, durable street hockey sticks so we could play year-round without an ice rink. And, as magically tends to happen, most of our friends from our neighborhood also got the same gift that year. D
During the months that followed, we took over the neighborhood streets with massive rolling hockey games. And then later that same year, The Mighty Ducks came out, and everybody else who didn’t have street hockey gear got it real quick.
Liz Farley
“Felicity”, the American Girl Doll
Each Christmas, our American Girl Dolls were the gift that my sister and I were most excited for.
When I was 7, I asked Santa for Felicity (the red-headed, tomboy, Colonial doll). Apparently, that year Felicity was particularly popular because when “Santa” went to purchase her, she was sold out. My dad tried to explain to me that Santa wasn’t able to get Felicity for me that year, but before he could finish his sentence, I responded that Santa could do anything and I had been a very good girl that year!
Alas, Felicity appeared under our Christmas tree, and Santa was out $600 after haggling for a doll on eBay (about 6x more than what American Girl Dolls cost in 2002 if you were lucky enough to find one in the store).
Phil Kuljurgis
“Boomer” The Dog
My best gift was the Christmas of eighth grade.
Growing up, I never thought we could have a dog. My mother claimed her allergies made it an impossibility. However, when she had no observable allergy symptoms after we took in a stray kitten (Cookie the cat), I began to formulate my plan. I theatrically tried to teach the cat to do dog-like tricks whenever my parents were around. I still never thought it could happen.
To my surprise and delight, my last gift that year was a large crate from which a tiny husky/German shepherd puppy came bounding out. He was from the Macomb County Dog Shelter and was crawling with fleas when we got him. I named him Boomer, and he quickly became part of the family. Even Cookie the cat came to tolerate having him around, although that would take years.
Jeremy Rachlin
The “VCR Quarterback Game”
Somewhere there is a video taken by my parents on their enormous 1980s camcorder of 9-year-old me opening this gift and running laps around the family room, screaming with glee like I just hit the lottery.
Picture a time before video games. Board games ruled the world. In the VCR Quarterback Game, you and your opponent would play a game of board game football next to your television set, equipped with a VCR (Beta or VHS). You would try to drive down the board game field towards your opponent’s end zone. You would draw cards to determine the outcome of each play. The card might say “incomplete pass” or “run for 6 yards”. But every now and again, you would draw a card which said “VCR”. Then, my friend, the game was afoot. You would cue up the VHS or Beta videotape that came with the game and hit “play”. A highlight from a real-life NFL game would play on your television. The outcome of that play would determine the outcome of your play. Most of the time it was mundane – a basic run or pass. But every now and again, your running back would fumble, or your quarterback would throw an interception of an absolute beauty of a touchdown. This was 1980s technology at its zenith, except for maybe Electronic Mall Madness.
I also remember that if you got close enough to the opposing end zone and it was fourth down, you could go for a field goal by rolling dice – the closer you were to the opposing end zone, the more numbers on the roll of the dice would result in a successful kick. Which, come to think of it, is actually very much like the present-day Washington Commanders kicking situation.
Meg Rosan
“Oliver” The Kitten
I was ten years old, and we were moving (again) to a new state where I would have to make new friends.
My heart swelled when I saw the large hat box with holes poked through the wrapping. It was a black-and-white kitten my aunt had found in her barn, and I named him Oliver Je PuPu (and called him “Pooh” for short).
He had long legs and a mind of his own, and he was my best buddy.
Dan Shaivitz
“I just remember being spoiled rotten.”
I honestly can say I do not remember a “best gift ever”.
No, my parents did not stuff me in a closet under the stairs or give me coal every year (though maybe once or twice).
I just remember being spoiled rotten by so many great gifts over the years, and there just isn’t one gift that ruled them all. When I was in my video game phase, I always seemed to get the hottest new release that I would unwrap and then play in the same set of pajamas for the next 72 hours without eating, sleeping, or seeing the sun. As I got older, my gifts turned into the latest and greatest lacrosse equipment.
Happy Holidays!!!
What is your favorite holiday gift you have ever received? Reach out to any of us and let us know! Happy holidays, and may you get exactly what you want!
