While growing up, I never remember my parents arguing about money. Not when I was a child at least, I don't know if it is because I was oblivious to anything that didn't revolve around Bambi and my Barbie Doll or because it just didn't happen.

Over the years, things would become "tight" as my mother would call them, and my brother, sister and I were taught that you may not get everything you want for Christmas or your birthday, but mom and dad would do their best. We knew that times around the holidays were tough on our parents and we never complained.

My father always found a way to help my mom make ends meet and survive another month. There was always food on the table, a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs. They weren't always name brand and we never drove the nice cars but we got by with what we had, and we were happy.

I didn't realize how lucky I was. Growing up, I knew my parents loved me, we may not have always had what we wanted, but we had what we needed and that was enough. My parents always showed me they loved me and were proud of me. They would drive for hours to take me to swim meets, help me memorize a song for choir or listen to me recite poetry for speech team. I was always encouraged to do the best that I could and if I wasn't first place, then it was all right, they still loved me and always would as long as I tried my hardest and was proud of myself that was all that mattered.

While I was still in school, one of my girlfriends in college went out to dinner with my parents and I during one of their visits right before Christmas break. Later, after they dropped me off at the curb and told me they loved me and wished me luck during finals weeks, they gave me a hug. They also gave my friend a hug. When we went up into our dorm room, she started crying. I looked at her completely lost and confused.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Your parents, they gave you a hug, told you that they loved you. They gave me a hug." She said.

I stared at her, seriously contemplating taking her to a mental facility.

"Yea," I said. "They do that, they are my parents, and they love me and want me to succeed."

With tears streaming down her face and a tissue up against her nose she said something to me that had me at a lost.

"My parents never said that to me," which she mumbled amidst all of her blubbering. "They never gave me a hug."

I just stared at her. I didn't know what to say. Later that week, my parents came to pick me up and take me home.

In January when I returned to school, my friend was there, her parents dropped her off that morning. Yet again we took her with us to dinner and my parents gave her a hug just like they did me. My dad gave me $20 that he couldn't afford to give me, but he did. I went to our room and my friend showed me all the stuff she got for Christmas. I showed her the two or three things I got. I wasn't ashamed of my gifts, I was very happy with them. When she asked how Christmas day was, I told her about spending the day with my family and the food. I told her about my grandpa saying grace and before I could even talk about my cousins and the fighting over the board games she started crying.

Her parents didn't spend the day with her. After she opened her gifts that morning they went their separate ways and she didn't do anything for the rest of the day.

I remember that her father worked at some bank in Indianapolis, her mother is a stay-at-home mom who volunteers and does a lot of charity work. My friend is noticeably spoiled and gets whatever she wants by putting it on her dad's credit card. I didn't hold this against her. She was my roommate and friend, and we got along great. We balanced each other and learned a lot from each other.

One of the lessons was simple, all the gifts in the world doesn't buy happiness or love.

So for the people that made it this far in my very long entry, remember, when you are out on the city streets with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, buying that $300 cell phone may be great and the gift recipient will love it. But in 20 years it won't be the phone they look back on with fondness, it will be the gift giver and that's what really matters this holiday season.

I waited to post this entry because I wanted the parents that are like my mine to read this and know that even though my parents had to pinch pennies and buy off brands for their children for Christmas, they gave us the greatest gift of all, their love and that is what we will always remember. That ladies and gentleman is something money can't buy.