Readers share the greatest gifts they’ve ever received

This holiday shopping season, think outside the box.

Everybody loves gifts wrapped in colorful paper sitting under the Christmas tree. But sometimes the perfect present can be as simple and as satisfying as a nourishing meal, an encouraging message or time spent with friends and family members.

In celebration of the holiday season, The Tribune asked San Luis Obispo County residents to share some of the greatest gifts they’ve ever received. Here are their responses.

A jar of messages

Maureen Carlson gave me a jar of messages late last November, and told me to pull out one note a day, until Christmas. Most were very personal, but some were simple inspirational quotes. These little pieces of paper made me so very happy, and meant more to me than any store-bought present — and I eagerly anticipated opening my message of joy each day. I’m “playing” again this year!

Catherine “Kiki” Kornreich, Morro Bay

A Christmas feast

The first Christmas after World War II found our fishing family strapped, with nothing extra for Christmas festivities. But I managed to trade fish for some sacks of yams.

Remembering another fishing family, we tied a bag of yams and went to gift them. They had traded fish for a gunnysack of beans and were gifting us!

We laughed, planned to feast together on beans, yams and fish, and then I went to the pier. The fish buyer gave us each a turkey for our faithful deliveries!

Capt. Travis O. Evans, Arroyo Grande

Tickets to the big game

In 1967, USC offered the family season ticket plan to its alumni. For very little money, a family could go to all the USC home football games. The seats were bad, in the end zone about four rows up, but as my dad, the sports junkie, said, “You can see the holes open up.” The USC football team was nicknamed “the Cardiac Kids” because they came from behind to win so often. The last game of the season against UCLA, ranked No. 1, was essentially the national championship game. When No. 2 USC won late in the fourth quarter, all we could talk about on the way home was going to the Rose Bowl.

My parents said, “Oh, there’s no way you could get tickets.” But on Christmas Day, in brown paper bags stapled to our Christmas stockings, there were Rose Bowl tickets! On New Year’s Day, my mom packed tuna sandwiches and sent us off. (Each family could only buy four tickets and my mom stayed home so her children could all go.) We even went out onto the field after the game and my little brother brought home the biggest piece of the goal post.

Theresa Perry, San Luis Obispo

A plastic purse

I was 9. I received a small plastic purse from the aunt and uncle who had drawn my name. My sister received a glass tea set from another family. I was disappointed and compared my gift to my sister’s. I soon learned that my aunt and uncle almost didn’t join us for Christmas that year because they were so poor. Then their gift to me became priceless! I learned from them the meaning of generosity!

Audrey Hooper, Atascadero

Time with a grandchild

It began with the gift on an invitation to be included in the most precious and intimate moments of the birth of my granddaughter Blythe. The gift of invitation continues; to be part of her waking, eating, napping, walking, playing … Being part of her squealing with laughter, reading “again and again.” Chasing, hiding, dancing, bouncing ... there is no greater gift. I am forever grateful to my daughter and son-in-law for welcoming me “in.”

Peggee Davis, Arroyo Grande

A special visit from a son

My best gift ever was a Thanksgiving visit with my son. Two days in November 2011 that changed my world forever, bringing joy then and, unknown to me at the time, everlasting love, thankfulness and hope.

Timing is everything, says a line from one of my favorite prayers. And it was perfect. Mike left after a couple days with the biggest hug ever to return to Big Sur. Only days later while checking on a newly released condor, an unexpected storm blew in and Mike was felled by an oak tree. He died instantly at 35 years old.

I still feel the warmth of his big hug and the sight of his slight smile as he pulled out of the driveway.

Nancy Tyner, Paso Robles

A Barbie doll

The year was 1959. I was 7 years old, and we lived in a home that was little more than a shack. My parents had the painful duty to tell us Santa Claus would not be stopping at our house that year. When Christmas morning arrived, I ran to look under the little tree and, true to their word, there were no gifts. Mindful of the sad atmosphere in the house, I hid my tears from my family. Later in the day, some relatives stopped by to give us their gifts. Opening mine, I found the most beautiful doll I had ever seen, Barbie. Santa had come by way of a loving aunt and uncle. No gift has ever meant more to me.

Shaye Yarnell, Arroyo Grande

A set of golf clubs

The greatest gift I ever received was a 3-year-old set of 1963 Louis Suggs First Lady golf clubs from my Mom when I was 10 years old. I didn’t know it at the time, but this gift would eventually lead me to a life full of experiences, confidence, relationships, travel, college, jobs and a lifestyle for which I was unaccustomed but would learn to love — and it strengthened the bond with my dad. Mom passed away in 1997 after a 12-year battle with cancer, but she knew way back in 1966 that giving me my first set of clubs just might lead to something special, and it did. I loved that she gave of herself for me in the form of such a wonderful, thoughtful gift.

Brent Jorgensen, Pismo Beach

A sweet treat

My aunt and uncle owned a mom-and-pop grocery store in Northern California. One Christmas, my two brothers and I received a mysterious package in the mail that rattled when we shook it!

Its contents? A variety of “penny” candies from their store — three of each kind! This was obviously not the greatest gift I ever received, but it was one of the sweetest, and I still smile when I think of it 60-plus years later.

Lois Elliott, San Luis Obispo

Handmade greeting cards

Real, true love is my best gift ever. I have saved a box full of handmade cards from my late life partner. I might receive a card at a business travel destination, but always when I returned home. Here’s a small sample of the thought and love put into the cards.

Richard Tibben, Nipomo

A class ring

Years ago in December a family friend called and said they had found a class ring in their son’s model airplane box. The initials on the ring were “JPR,” matching my brother’s initials. To disguise it, my dad wrapped the ring in a 6-foot-long cardboard tube meant for a fishing pole. What a surprise Christmas morning when John opened the gift to find his 1967 San Luis Obispo High School class ring!

Candace Martin her hometown?

A surprise visit from a soldier

It was Christmas 2003. We were driving to Eureka to celebrate with our second oldest son. His older brother was fighting in Iraq. I’d secretly hoped for a phone call — a rarity in 2003 — and hoped he knew where he’d find me. As we drove north, my husband suggested stopping at my sister’s house for lunch. I walked into her front room to see my soldier son emerging from her bedroom. Everyone knew of the plan — everyone but me!

Cathy Marvier, San Luis Obispo

Letters from loved ones

For Christmas 2014, one of my adult grandsons and his girlfriend gave my husband and me a promise to write us a letter every month for a year. They gave us the same gift for Christmas 2015. Every month for two years we have received a handwritten letter telling us what is happening in their lives. It has been a joy receiving these letters, and I have kept every one.

Sally Buccola, San Luis Obispo

A sibling reunion

For my 90th birthday, my children offered to pay my way and fly with me to Michigan to celebrate with my sisters, who are 86 and 87. The youngest sister, 75, drove from Oklahoma to be with us, too.

Three of us won’t travel that far anymore and thought we’d never have another reunion. What a great 90th birthday gift. I couldn’t have done it alone.

Polly Sardo, Paso Robles

A birthday surprise

On Feb. 9, 2013, my husband Brian and I just going to sit down for dinner. Brian heard talking from our kitchen window and saw his daughter Marcia and son James walking up the walkway holding balloons and caring gifts. My husband opened the front door and said, “Marcia and James, how did you get here?” What a wonderful surprise to see them both — a great gift indeed on their dad’s 70th birthday!

Barbara Hesse, Atascadero

A puppy

How did a brown paper bag change my life?

In October 2013, a puppy in a paper bag was thrown from the window of a speeding car into the street. Feather became the inspiration behind my children’s book “The Brown Paper Bag” and detected my seventh bout of cancer. Her courage, comical antics and unconditional love encourage me to recognize that there is no barrier too great to overcome.

Destry Ramey, Pismo Beach

The gift of life

On Nov. 16, 2007, I went to the emergency room at Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton because I wasn’t feeling well. Almost immediately, it was determined that I was suffering a heart attack. A courageous effort was made by the staff in the emergency room to stabilize me and determine that I needed to be transported to Sierra Vista Medical Center in San Luis Obispo for additional treatment. After being loaded into the ambulance, I suffered full cardiac arrest. My greatest gift was from paramedic Brian Bernay, EMT Jerry Parker and attending nurse Diane Everett. Due to their efforts, I was revived. And nine years later, I still remember them and thank them for the gift of life.

Bob Kelley, Atascadero

A photo message

For my wife (now deceased) on her 80th birthday, my daughter gave her an amazing large framed picture. The greeting “Happy 80th Birthday, Sally Newman” is made up of letters which each have a picture of relatives (children, grandchildren, cousins, in-laws) and a few close friends showing them in poses and backgrounds representing the letters and numbers.

Each was assigned the creation of a letter. With her love in organizing this nationwide group to make the total picture, I consider it to be a “greatest gift.”

Bill Newman, Morro Bay

A clean bill of health

The greatest gift I’ve received is my health! Twenty-five years ago, I had an ingrown toe nail that became infected. The toenail turned black; it started our as a small, thin line, eventually covering most of the nail. On Dec. 23, 2013, I was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma of the left great toe. On Feb. 5, 2014, I had surgery at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. On Feb. 13, 2014, the pathologist report came back — benign! My prayers were answered, and I started crying grateful tears. The greatest gift!

Linda Wilkie, Atascadero

A healthy spouse

My greatest gift is having my wonderful wife, Anna Unkovich, with me in this season after her stage 4 cancer diagnosis a few months ago. That was a powerful message that life and wellness should be celebrated every day.

Our greatest gift is the support of amazing, friends, neighbors, and medical professionals whose unselfish caring helped Anna to make it to this joyous season — and more to come.

Don Dirkse, Arroyo Grande

A sacred promise

My gift was given to me in July 1957. I was 10 years old. It was the gift of eternal life. That was the day I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.

This gift is for all that will come to Him.

Robert Benda, Pismo Beach

This story was originally published December 25, 2016 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Readers share the greatest gifts they’ve ever received."