Best. Christmas Present. Ever.

This hilarious Jimmy Kimmel clip featuring parents giving their kids terrible presents on purpose reminds me of my favorite gift-giving story. 

On Christmas Eve two years ago, most of my extended family had finished tearing off the wrapping paper enveloping their presents. Content with our new gifts, a few of my family members and I started growing antsy after an hour or so passed, so we decided to play a prank on my grandpa.

First, we grabbed a discarded gift bag, the contents of which had recently been liberated. Next, we pulled a dusty novel off my grandpa’s bookshelf. We placed said book in the gift bag, discreetly dropping the “present” in front of him when his attention was focused on carefully unwrapping a gift that had actually been recently purchased.

Finally his gaze locked on the gift bag near his feet. Reaching into the bag, his hands waded through the silk paper, extracting his novel about fishing seconds later.  

“Geez, what a great present guys! Who’s it from?”

Yep, my grandpa was genuinely excited to receive a novel he’d clearly forgotten about. And no, I’m sure he wasn’t masking disappointment or hiding the fact that he already owned the book to spare the gift giver’s feelings. Everyone can read that man like, well, um, a book. Score one for regifting.