One of my favorite gifts this year came from my dear friend and former college roommate, Jen. We've remained loyal friends through the years despite the fact that we rarely see each other. Our friendship has kept vital mainly through the lively letters we've shared over the years. Every letter and email we exchange is a gift in itself.

A talented and crafty woman, mother now of 3 small children, wife, and published children's magazine author, I always know when I get a package in the mail from her, it will be a good one.

It seems a lifetime ago that we were in college together, laughing at the guy we irreverently dubbed "ex-con" (our freshman composition teacher) who shuffled when he walked, smelled of the farm, and never made eye contact with anyone. We had suitable nicknames for just about every person we knew, a latent juvenile game that kept us in secret legion together with our inside jokes. (I remember Jen writing a killer short story about carnival workers in orange Dickies coveralls that "ex-con" proclaimed a brilliant piece of fiction…but I digress.)

We're talking Christmas present. Jen sent Jacob and me a movie package this year, complete with 3 family DVDs, gourmet popcorn and hot chocolates, mugs, all arranged in a large popcorn bowl. I just loved it and look forward to diving into it one of these snowed-in days.

It's hard not to wander when writing this. The memories are fresh. Keeping those alive are more important to me than anything; our friendship is the true gift that keeps on giving.

I hope Jen still remembers the enormous bulk carton of M&M's she shipped to her Dad from campus one Christmas. (How much did it cost to send those priority mail all the way to Japan, anyway?)

She had the knack of gifting down, even then.

Melanie Hyatt is an editor at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.