Christmas Surprise

1995 was a year of change for my family. I ended a three-year relationship. My parents moved out of state. My sister and her new baby moved into my house. It was also the year I first heard "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

I heard the song on the radio and as instantly hooked. At the time, I really liked music that varied the syncopation of music and lyrics. Every time I heard it on the radio, I screamed, "I love this song" and turned up the volume. The song inspired me to watch it's movie namesake. I couldn't help but feel a connection to Holly Golightly and her hope for glamour.

The song itself was a reminder to me that there was hope in the world, especially in my rather tumultuous sibling relationship. (After all, the couple in the song had at least one movie they both liked!) Even though we were sharing a house and doing our best to be grown-ups, we were still sisters with a deeply rooted rivalry.

As Christmas approached that year, I sank further into a depression. Money was tight. Work hours were long. My life was a seemingly endless shuffle between two dead-end jobs. My sister and I pooled our money and bought some gifts for our family at the local Walgreens. We shopped late Christmas Eve night to get the best deals.

I didn't have any hopes at all for that Christmas, as I was scheduled to work that day. We watched the baby open his few gifts in our livingroom, and I was surprised when my sister handed me a small gift. Inside was a cassette of the single, "Breakfast at Tiffany's". (She couldn't afford to by the full album.)

To this day, I have yet to receive a gift that was as genuine and heart-felt than that cheap cassette. My sister gave me even more than a song I adored. She gave me a symbol of our bond. We may not both be Holly Golightly fans, but we do manage to stick together.