 A gift is simply a gift -- something you give to someone because you
thought they would like it. You thought of them when you saw or made
this gift and knew they had to have it.If you buy the mail
carrier a scarf because you thought to keep his ears warm, this
doesn't mean you must give one to the trash man. Of course, if the
trash man's ears are equally as important to you as the mail
carrier's, you may find yourself knitting mufflers for both of them.
If Mary has been a real peach helping you adjust to a new job and
Roy merely made it clear that he wanted your job, you are not
obligated to gift them both just because their cubicles abut.
It would be lovely to be able to give a gift to everyone
regardless of your feelings about them, because that's what Jesus,
"our Reason for the Season," did. However, we will always make
excuses for our limited gift-giving: a lack of money or time or the
thought that even Jesus would probably give Roy a lump of coal.
To be perfectly frank, we are not Jesus. We are not perfect. We
were not born with that kind of capacity for love and forgiveness.
We do not always think of other people. Our hearts are fickle.
However, regardless of how much money or time we have, or how
much perfection we lack, everyone we know is deserving of our
regard: a gift of ourselves.
I know people who put limitations on their gift-giving. That
person is over 18 years old, so… no gift. That person didn't give me
a gift last year, so… no gift. That person isn't really part of the
family, so… no gift.
A person's place in life should not determine whether or not you
give them a gift. Money should not play a part either, but it often
does.
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 To give a gift, one must either buy one with dollars or make one
with time. If you don't have time, you probably have enough money.
If you don't have money, you probably have enough time. Time is the
one resource that people sometimes forget they have. Consider making
something for the people in your life, even if it is a beautifully
handwritten note. I love to receive handmade gifts!
Gift-giving is not an obligation. It is an expression of love or
friendship. It should not be a chore. If it is, you are doing it
wrong. It should be something you want to do.
If spending money causes you stress, then make something or do
something for the people you know and even for those you don't know.
You've heard it said many times: "It's not the gift, but the thought
that counts."
If you have a beautiful voice, sing for them.
If you have a talent for cooking, make lasagna for them.
If you have a green thumb, grow something for them.
If you are good with a hammer, build something for them.
As always, a gift is optional. If, for one reason or another, you
did not receive a gift from someone this year, don't be offended. If
they forgot about you, it simply means that you probably haven't
done anything for which to be remembered. Next year is another year…
Give of yourself to those people who hold your regard. Don't let
money, time or obligation make it a chore. This is something that
should be easy to do. Most important, it is something that should
not be reserved merely for the holiday season.
[By LAURA SNYDER]
Laura Snyder is a nationally syndicated columnist,
author and speaker. You can reach her at
lsnyder@lauraonlife.com
or visit www.lauraonlife.com
for more info. |
