Merry Christmas

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
...To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

Thank you, Mr. Oren Arnold for this quote. It seemed to strike me in a new way -- that gifts truly aren't about money and wrappable presents....

I see and hear all over how people are talking about gifts, what they want to get for a special someone, how not being able to afford for anyone but family, how they wish they could do this or do that..... And finding that perfect gift.... And secretly I envy them. I would so love to just go shopping, shopping, shopping! The current economy has forced me to look at things a bit differently. And maybe that is a good thing!

Because this year we truly will not be buying gifts for people. Oh, my list would be long, indeed, if I would include everyone. For my precious family, I spent two entire days making and decorating dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies. I made their favorites. The main ingredient is love, and it is added to the recipe in abundance! It is a gift of time, of love, and of connection. Knowing how much they enjoyed our traditional family cookie baking spree, I pictured them tasting the sweet confections and smiling from ear to ear. No matter how many cookies are made, towards the end, we always ration them, don't we! :) To savor the taste of Christmas, the sugar of love, and the sweetness of family connections. If we made cookies more often than at the holiday season, I don't think they would taste nearly as good, nor carry the same importance.

So, Mr. Arnold, I do forgive my enemies, if I have any. Not sure that I do, but at least I will suspend my opinions of people if they are doing/saying something I may not like -- although there are fewer and fewer instances of that as I grow older....

Opponent? I don't know who that would be really.... I don't compete with anyone, perhaps with the exception of myself.

My friends have my heart, as they have for many years; and I've added new ones as my heart grows larger with the years ....

Service? Yes, service to our neighbors, harried store clerks, frustrated waitresses, with the gift of understanding and patience. And that is charity.

Children -- speak positively, kindly, and generously to the little ones, and medium sized ones, too. They remember much more than we think. They may take kindnesses as expected, seemingly forgotten, but hurt and wrongs will be emblazoned on their little hearts for a long time.

And, yes, respect for myself. Not because of who I am but because of to Whom I belong.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!