I love Christmas so much that I am writing this article in October! We were raised poor, about the same as our neighbors, put poor! When we put Dad’s and Mom’s house on the market and hosted a large garage sale, I claimed a couple of items that we kids had given Mom for Christmas when I was attending Whittier Elementary. Two glass figurines of cows and two figurines of deer are on my office shelves and two glass figurines of ducks and two of chickens are in the parsonage. If I remember the story right, Ruth Anna, our older sister, earned the money baby sitting and we all (at least four of us) went to the “5 and Dime” to pick them out and complete the purchase. Mom cherished them and kept them for at least 50 years, until she left Dad to go to Heaven. They are not worth much except to we who remember their value!
I wish to share with you 10 free gifts for which we will not even have to shop!
First, the gift of LISTENING – Why not give this valuable gift to someone who lives alone? There are several people like that in Port O’Connor who would enjoy having you come by, BUT, we must truly listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning our responses – just LISTEN!
Second, the gift of AFFECTION – We must be generous with our hugs, kisses, and gentle squeezes of the hand. Let these many actions demonstrate the LOVE we have on the inside that are often passed over and never expressed.
Third, the gift of NOTES – It can be a note as simple as “I love you” or as creative as a sonnet. Place those notes where they will surprise that loved one and it will be even more than just a NOTE!
Fourth, the gift of LAUGHTER – We all know that laughter is like a good medicine, so learn to laugh loudly and long! Just cut out a cartoon, save a clever article. Remember a good joke and be sure the punch line is in its proper place. Our gifts will say “I love to LAUGH with you!”
Fifth, the gift of a COMPLIMENT – A simple “Wow, you look good in red” or “I like your new hair-do,” or “I think you outdid yourself on that meal” can be of greatest value to those who may feel they are being taken for granted.
Sixth, the gift of FAVOR – How much better would all year long be if each of us would simply help one another. There is nothing wrong with doing someone else’s dishes, or helping someone clean out their garage. How helpful would it be for us to help run errands.
Seventh, the gift of “LEAVE ME ALONE” – There are times in everyone’s life where we want nothing better than to be left ALONE, given some space. People often feel smothered so we must become more sensitive to those times and give the gift of SOLITUDE.
Eighth, the gift of a CHEERFUL DISPOSITION – We must work on being cheerful around those we especially love. Even if our day has been extra stressful and met with many disasters, why bring that gloom into another’s life?
Ninth, the gift of GAME – How long has it been since we offered to just sit down and play our loved one’s favorite game. Maybe it can not be done sitting down, but it is the game that they really want to play. Even if we lose in the GAME, we will be a winner.
Tenth, the gift of PRAYER – There is nothing more powerful than praying for those on our Christmas lists and letting them know that we are praying for them. Praying for someone is a way of saying, “You are so special to me that I talk to God about YOU!”
Christmas is usually a financial burden on most budgets, but there are some ways that we can give a unique gift that will be appreciated all year long! When we lighten a load for someone, we will find that we have given the greater gift to ourselves!
