The Christmas gift I've treasured for 50 years was second hand

It was a microscope.

And as it turns out my parents bought the gift second-hand from someone whose daughter had outgrown the item.

It was tough economic times for a young couple with three young children but my parents didn't want any of those children to miss out on a special gift - or two - under the Christmas tree. In fact, my parents always made Christmas a special time for us kids.

I always remember thinking how different and special my gift was. I was so impressed that I had my own microscope. This immediately piqued my inquisitive nature. I loved examining all sorts of things through the lens of that microscope.

I'm not sure why I kept it - I have had plenty of other wonderful gifts over the years - but this one triggered something for me. Maybe because it was so different, maybe because I knew the effort my parents had gone to for such a special gift.

I may have only been eight, but I knew how hard my parents had worked, furthermore one of my younger siblings had only recently recovered after a battle with cancer - they had a lot on their plate.

While the gift was wonderful, I think the unspoken message that came with it was even more valuable for a young, impressionable child - there is more to Christmas than just receiving lots of gifts.

As I return to the present and the tough financial times that have impacted so many in 2023 I want to remind people of that message.

This should not be a time to break the bank so everyone gets a multitude of sparkly new things.

Those thoughtful, even pre-loved gifts, can often be valued even more.

Jackie Meyers, editor