The Best Thing I've Ever Recieved in the Mail

The best thing I’ve ever received in the mail was never addressed to me at all. It was, however, addressed to my brother, “it” being the engine of a Lionel model train set from my grandfather. My grandpa gifted it to him for Christmas one year when we were young in hopes that, as his only grandson, they could share the interest. My grandpa’s hobby of building model trains and planes has been an integral part of his life since he was a kid. Growing up with two sisters, this passion was the one thing in my grandfather’s life that his sisters were uninterested in, something he had all to himself. So, naturally, when my brother was born into the family, the sole grandson, and he was old enough, my grandpa gifted him the first part of a five-piece train set. 

Equipped with working headlights, brick red paint, and a plastic gold bell, the engine practically shone in its gift box. And there it remained, for days upon days, until the box was put into storage untouched, where days turned into weeks, which turned into months, then eventually years. When I finally uncovered it, now much older, a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the lid. With growing curiosity, I connected the few pieces of track that accompanied the engine and figured out how to power the contraption. From then on, I was hooked. I used the remote to move the car back and forth over and over again on the short length of track. I desperately wanted more cars and track pieces, but I knew that the only way to get them was to ask my grandpa about it. Although seemingly easy, I was hesitant to ask. He had been eager to share the hobby with my brother and connect with him on a level that could only be understood from being the only boy in the family, something that I, with five girl cousins, could not comprehend. I was afraid that my grandfather would not be as excited to share this hobby with me as he was to share it with my brother. I wanted to have a special bond with my grandfather, but I worried it would be more disappointing than anything. 

In the end, my desire for the hobby persisted. I shyly told my grandpa about my newfound interest, and to my surprise, he was enthusiastic. I had worried he would be indifferent, but next Christmas, he gave me the other four pieces of the set, plus enough track to make a large oval with a diameter of around 5 feet. The new cars included a passenger car, a box car, a tank car, and, of course, the caboose. That Christmas, we set up the full set in my basement, and the bond I had wished for was born. From then on, my grandpa and I shared a special friendship. He introduced me to his other train sets and taught me more about how they work. Most significantly, we continue to set up the same original set every year when he visits at Christmas. If my grandpa was ever disappointed that I ended up liking model trains over my brother, he has never shown it. 

The model train engine that appeared one Christmas morning was never intended for me. The bond that ensued was something my grandpa had expected to share with his grandson. Yet it did not. Instead, my relationship with my grandpa reminds me that connections are not formed through expectations and traditions but are often unplanned. Although the gift was not addressed to me, it made way for an unanticipated but cherished friendship, proving that oftentimes, the most meaningful relationships arise in unlikely ways.