Thoughtful Hostess Gift

In the years since we've moved across the country, and away from our families, we've kind of started a new tradition of having local friends over for Christmas Eve dinner.  I make a Mexican dish called pozole and we usually invite a family or two we've met in the area that we think would enjoy it.  

This is our 3rd Christmas season here in North Carolina and one of our guests is a family we've had over every year so far.  And every year they show up with a huge box of Ferrero Rocher candies as a hostess gift.  I'm talking the large plastic container you would find at Sam's Club or Costco.  

Those are some very delicious candies, but Lord knows I don't need that large box, so every year I have opened it that same evening and shared with everyone; including giving lots to their daughter who absolutely loves the stuff.  

However, this year was different.  Her daughter walked in and handed me a Christmas ornament as the hostess gift.

The wife explained it to me like this, "Oh my gosh, Leah!! I was thinking and telling [husband] 'Here she is working hard with all her running and being careful to lose weight and I show up every year with this huge box of chocolates.  I don't want to be the one sabotaging her!!!' " 

So, she bought me an ornament for my tree instead, knowing full well I'd have plenty of sweets at my house already. 

My instinct was to not make her feel bad for bringing those goodies to my house, but before I gushed over and over in the effort to make her comfortable I stopped and simply told her not to worry about it and then I thanked her for being so thoughtful.  

It is the season for giving and receiving sweet goodies, but each year I am further along in my weight loss journey I find myself losing some interest in the sweet treats that flood the holiday season.  Instead, I am almost overwhelmed by the over abundance.  

Don't get me wrong.  I do indulge.  But after already receiving the equivalent of about 2 lbs of chocolate as gifts in the days leading up to Christmas, I was touched that my friend would take into consideration my efforts to maintain a healthy weight and go for a non-food gift this year.  Her thoughtfulness meant more than she'll ever know.  :)