It’s Christmas… almost. It’s that season of the year when our hearts and minds turn to family, friends, presents, cookie baking, candy making, and so much more. It is a season. I like looking at it as a season because that means that I can enjoy if for more than a day or a week — I can enjoy it for four weeks or six — or dare I say it? Even longer than that!

For years I was the person who had all of my Christmas presents purchased and wrapped in September. I’m not so good at that anymore. In fact, this year, I seem to be running a little bit behind in the gift purchasing department — but I’m getting there.

Gift giving has been a little controversial at times. Some folks have felt as though it was a burden, for some an expectation. There are other people who feel that Christmas gift giving is an obligation — and honestly, that breaks my heart.

To me, gift giving is a pleasure — even to people like my Dad who are really hard to buy for. I love giving gifts at Christmas or Easter or birthdays or any day at all! However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a little bit different philosophy about gifts. I’ve always gone for quality — a memory or something that would be treasured — rather than quantity. Our sons received three gifts for Christmas from Mr. Gorgeous and I every year. After all, there are only three gifts mentioned as having been brought to the Christ Child.
It’s fascinating to me that moments and memories that are precious to me have no special meaning in the lives of others. Years ago, I was with some special people and as we sat and talked and talked and talked, we also watched and photographed cardinals. After that, I bought all of us matching cardinal Christmas ornaments. Only one of them understood the significance to that particular gift. But then, we each have our own treasured memories, don’t we? Special things that touch me are different from things that touch others. And that’s okay.

When I give gifts I try to get “into the head” of the person to whom I am giving. I usually ask what they want and often I get them something from that list. There are also times when I don’t ask what a person wants because I want them to have something different. As a kid and teenager, I didn’t always do well at that. In fact, as a kid I wrote poetry and my poor parents received a number of poems from their daughter. Of course, there were also the requisite macaroni necklaces, etc., that I gave as gifts. And then in second grade I made a salt dough Christmas tree ornament — my mom let me take it several years ago. This year when I opened the box and gently lifted it from its cotton, about half of it fell off. The glitter garland had been coming off in bits and pieces for years. Now, when I make gifts, they are a little more sophisticated…. I hope.

I guess all of this rambling is really meant to remind us that giving gifts is a privilege. It is the opportunity to show our love and appreciation for others. As we give gifts, people have the opportunity to see into our heart — and we have the opportunity to reach into theirs. It is the chance to value others. And frankly my friends, in a world that beats people down and defeats them daily, helping a person to feel valued is a gift of inestimable value.

I guess the real reason I love to give gifts is because for me, it is a way of patterning my life after my Heavenly Father. He gave the most amazing gift ever when He gave His Son — the reason that we celebrate Christmas — Jesus Christ. Through His Son, He gives us His forgiveness, as well as the privilege of becoming His child. That, my friends, is the very best gift ever — Jesus, the Son of God.