We all have that one gift. One present that stands out from all the rest. A puppy, a bike, an amazing trip. It’s a gift that you’ll always remember as the BEST one you’ve ever received. As gift-giving season is upon us, we thought it would be fun to ask the VineSpring team members, ‘What’s the best gift you’ve ever received, and why?’

Leslie Osborne

I've been very fortunate to have received a lot of wonderful gifts from friends and family over the course of my life. One gift does rise to the top, though. When I was seven years old, my parents gave me the gift of five horseback riding lessons for my birthday, which falls just a month before Christmas. I'd always loved horses, so to learn to ride was a dream gift! I can't recall the name of the gentle, bay-colored giant I rode, but to learn to control a thousand-pound horse at the age of seven was quite a feat (in my young mind, at least)! It turned into many more years of riding lessons, including riding off and on as an adult, and the foundation for an activity that can remain a lifelong hobby of mine. Thanks for the gift that's kept on giving, Mom and Dad!

Howard Towt

I was eight years old in 1954, and I received a brand new bike for Christmas. We lived on a farm, somewhat removed from the nearby town, and this gave me freedom and capability beyond my dreams. I could go to the corner grocery and get a treat, I could visit friends, I could simply pedal off to a remote part of our farm and hang out in a favorite tree. It was the best!

Chris Towt

The best gift I ever received was Wizard the dog, a golden retriever / black lab mix. I received Wizard when I was 3 years old and I loved that dog for many years to come.

Jamison Morrow

Although I received several good gifts in my childhood, my favorite was probably my first BMX bike. My grandparents got it for me as a Christmas gift. Although it was given to me in the middle of an Iowa snowstorm, and thereby rendered useless for a couple months, it eventually became the catalyst for many great childhood memories… building ramps, racing around with other kids, riding to the swimming pool on hot days, going to friends’ houses that were not in walking distance, and exploring the world around me. It was my favorite gift because it was ultimately more than a physical gift; it was the gift of personal freedom and new possibilities.

Shannon Gildea

As a child, one of my favorite Xmas gifts was when my sister and I received the Barbie Dream House circa 1979. What made it even more special was learning years later about how our mother stayed up all night putting it together and making sure every last sticker was in place, making it the perfect gift from Santa.

Britney Yunker

When my daughter, Zoe, was 7, she was very secretive about a Christmas gift she was making at school for me. She worked on it for weeks. And she was very careful not to tell me what it was to preserve the surprise. Finally, on Christmas morning, it was time for me to open it. At first, I had NO idea what it was. It just looked like a pile of very pretty yarn in golds, greens, and browns. When I pulled it out, I realized it was a little knitted book with felt ‘pages’. With much pride, she explained that it was a 'needle book'…a place to keep sewing needles of all sizes—by threading them through the felt pages. She had knitted every stitch and sewn it together with her own hands. To this day (she’s now 14), whenever I need to sew a button or a hem, I know EXACTLY where my needle book is!

Kelli Silva

The best gift that I have ever received was a piano keyboard. I had started taking piano lessons and really wanted a piano of my own so my parents bought me a full-sized piano keyboard. They wrapped it up and put my brother’s name on the gift-tag so I wouldn’t know that it was a gift for me. I was so bummed that I did not see any other box under the Christmas tree that was the shape of a keyboard. Then on Christmas morning they let him start opening it and then said, “umm whoops, give that to Kelli”. Not many people know that I still know how to play the piano to this day!

Matthew Fay

My favorite gift has to be our family dog, Leo, "the lion." He is a golden retriever with plenty of spunk and energy. He brings us all much joy and lots of his fur to clean up. One thing about goldens is that they shed like no tomorrow. Clumps of Leo are a reminder that he is around, ready to go on an adventure. Whether it's a walk, hike, or to the dog park, he's always eager to get his sights and smells. He's an excellent companion and cheers us all up. Here's to a cheerful Christmas and a happy New Year!

Aku Desai

My favorite gift was my Apple Watch a couple of years ago or the impending AirPods that I will be getting :-) These gifts signify that I have moved up a generation in technology and I would never think of buying them for myself...

Andrea Steffes Tuttle

The best gift I’ve received is a harmonica. A friend knew that I wanted to learn the harmonica and so bought me a C harmonica. The gift led me to sign up for lessons and learn a musical instrument for the first time. While I’m no Neil Young, I can still play a delightful rendition of “You are my sunshine”!

Kent Nowlin

My favorite gift story is from when I was 11-years old. I desperately wanted a train set but as you may know, they are not cheap. Growing up in a financially limited household, the likelihood of getting one was pretty darn small. Nevertheless, I dreamed, begged, and positioned the intangible value to my parents for at least two months leading up to Christmas. The night of Christmas Eve when we were opening our presents from the family (yes we opened them on the eve, rather than the day), we got to the end of the present ritual and I had a strange feeling that something was awry. I noticed I had a very small amount of gifts compared to my 3 siblings. And I noticed a disparity in gift value compared to my siblings’ gifts. Being a third child I was used to sticking up for myself so with unashamed selfishness, I brought up this disparity to the family. After some razzing about discontentment my dad says “oh wait I think you have one more present in the refrigerator”. As strange as that sounded I went to take a look and found the most amazing, yet affordable, boxed train set leaned up against the refrigerator and I shouted for joy. The whole family was in on the scheme and that somehow made me feel valued and appreciated.