Angel Exchange

It's been more than ten years ago that I belonged to a small group that did an ornament exchange at its Christmas party. We were a feisty bunch so it was a lot of fun as we bantered about, grabbing up each other's adored ornament in exchange for one we didn't like as much. One particular year, two of us were going after the same angel ornament. I won, but felt bad later. So, I dropped the angel off at this friend's house, with a note that simply said, "to an angel."

I liked this idea, so the next year I dropped another small gift outside her door labeled "to an angel." This went on a couple of years (I always had to stalk her house and find a time to drop it by when she wasn't home.) One year she "caught me." I quickly waved and scooted on out of the driveway.

That's when the angel exchange began. She soon dropped a litte gift at my door. And so we have continued to drop small angel or angel-related presents off at each other's house every Christmas, never with any hint of the gift giver. We don't comment on it when we see each other either. But we know what's going on.

This year I really thought we were done. For we go to different churches and our paths no longer cross except for the occasional wedding or other special event. The pizza delivery guy rang our doorbell the other night. He handed my son the pizza and ... the angel gift sitting by my door in the dark.

What to my wondrous eye did I unwrap but a beautiful spode Christmas plate ... and a glass angel on the side. How fun! Now the ball is in my court. I found a sweet pewter angel ornament marked down at the hospital gift shop Christmas sale. I hope she'll be at work today when I try to drop it at her door. And so the tradition continues.