By some small grace of frivolity, Mama has always believed Christmas gifts should not be practical. It was the one time of year when one could ask for something a bit expensive and not feel bad for doing so. Of course, she would often remind me, this did not mean I was going to get everything on my list, which included $100 Guess jeans, Members Only jackets, and 20 cassette tapes, mostly featuring Madonna. “I am not buying you anything Madonna,” she would say, “Christmas or not.” Outside of the Material Girl, Mama would try to get me the rest.