Premier Stephen McNeil shares his greatest gift

We asked you to share your #CBCGreatest Gifts with us. Today, Nova ScotiaPremier Stephen McNeil tells us about one of the best gifts he has ever received.

Its been many years since Stephen McNeils children were willing to crawl up beside him on Christmas Eve to hear a book read aloud.

It's become the tradition that kind of takes over. It'snot so much the story as the act of what you're doing that matters the most.- Premier Stephen McNeil

The premiers daughter and son are busy adults, 24 and 23 years old, with his son working in Alberta. They make it home for Christmas, but traditions have faded. A few years ago McNeil noticed that even the space under their tree was getting more empty and gift-free every year.

He had a sudden whim. We should have a toy train running around the trunk, to fill up the space, he told his family.

Then he forgot he had ever mentioned it.

Three Christmases ago, McNeil found a big box waiting for him at their home in Upper Granville.

It was a toy train, and not just any train: a replica of the one from The Polar Express, the book McNeil used to read every year to usher in Christmas for two little children.

"One of my sisters bought that for my kids when they were very small, and I would read it to them on Christmas Eve," said McNeil.

"The book is about just believing in the magic of the holiday."

Taking off the wrapping, McNeil could tell from his familys excitement that the gift was something they had searched hard to find.

"They remembered it," he said. "And the fact that when I mentioned a train, their mind started to swirl around a little bit It was nice for me that they had remembered the little family tradition that we had started when they were small."

The train is now set up around the tree every year in their house, which is where the premier grew up with 16 siblings and lots of children underfoot. Now, when the extended family arrives every Boxing Day, the youngest McNeils gather around the Polar Express, alittle like the wayMcNeil remembers his children crowding around the picture book.

"It's become the tradition that kind of takes over," he said. "It's not so much the storyas the act of what you're doing that matters the most."

Still, hes not nostalgic, he said.

"You get to see your children be a young woman and a young man who enjoy watching their nieces and nephews, or enjoy as much giving something as they are receiving it," he said. "That's a nice feeling for a parent."

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And remember to tune in to CBC TV for The Greatest Gift,a special program were preparing for the holidays. It will run at11 p.m. Dec. 24and again at6 p.m. Dec. 26.