#CBCGreatestGift receives heartwarming responses

When we put out a call for stories of the best gifts you had ever given or received, we thought we might hear about things that came in bright-coloured packages tied up with string. Maybe the odd pony or shiny bauble.

In fact, the first entries in our #CBCGreatestGift survey are simpler, and more profound.

Most people are describing gifts that cannot be bought or sold. 

The most frequent mention — the gift of family we hold dear.  

Tweeting as @KTanPot, Kellie writes of a proposal Christmas 2008. "I said yes! His gift of love is hands down the best gift I ever received." Jeff Ueffing tweets a ditto to that: "A yes from my wife in 2003 when I proposed to her Christmas morning."

From a writer known as Chief Wiggam, "The birth of our first born on Christmas Day."  For @Underdog4life, it's "My daughters." Kay Wall says it's "a baby daughter on Christmas Day, 1966." Pete Shaw is thankful for his "wife and soul mate Sandi and our combined family of five children that are happy and healthy."

In fact, the gift of good health is a recurring theme. 

Ernest Hawboldt was rushed to hospital in Kentville with serious breathing problems in 2013, and spent weeks in Intensive Care. He writes that he was on a ventilator most of that time, but he's better now. "I now curl regularly and golf in the summer. Only possible with the great TLC I received from the doctors and staff at the Kentville ICU."

Darlene Eldershaw tweets a similar tale: "30 years ago our then six-year-old daughter needed emergency surgery, four days before Christmas. #CBCGreatestGift getting her home Christmas Day."

Monique LeBlanc's story was bittersweet. She tweets that her greatest gift was "a surprise visit to mom shortly after her release from emerg & scary hospital stay. It would be her last Christmas."

We're also hearing stories about great thought and effort. 

Carol Dobson tweeted that her greatest gift was her "grandfather trying to find ways to get us to Xmas dinner when there was a major blizzard."

TaraLee writes, "My boyfriend took my rolled up university degree out of a drawer, dusted it off and had it framed ... Knowing he was so proud of me for my hard work and accomplishment was all of the Christmas gift I needed."

Haligirl's best gift was, on the surface, so simple:

"A box of teabags! Several years ago I ran out of teabags and asked my teenage son to bring me home a tea from Tim Hortons. When he got home he handed me a box of teabags and said, 'I figured you would want more than one tea.' His thoughtfulness really touched me and I told him that was the best thing he could have ever done for me," she said.

"That Christmas I opened a gift from him, and lo and behold was a collector's tin can of Tetley's tea bags. His reply, 'I figured if a regular box or teabags made you so happy, that a collector's tin can of tea bags would be over the top.' I love my box of teabags at Christmas 'til this very day."

Correspondent rrtwoods writes, "Probably, as a kid, the trip to Disneyland under the tree would have been a favourite. Today I get more satisfaction giving gifts. When in doubt, I usually give the gift of warmth: alpaca socks."

Comfort and Joy to all, we say.

A writer, using the handle Oakeshott, gets the last word for now. His #CBCGreatestGift: "Planet of the Apes play set (~1978). That toy turned me into the man I am today."

Now we want to hear your story. Everyone has one: what's the greatest gift you've ever given or received? Add your comments below or tweet us using #CBCGreatestGift. We will keep adding to the list and share — our gift to you.