The Greatest Gift of All

In my last entry, I discussed being grateful for the many wonderful gifts in our lives. Too often people think of the external gifts that are given at special times when we celebrate one of life’s milestones. Gift giving includes all of these, of course. We all like to be the recipient of another’s love and generosity.

If we stop to consider the purpose of gift giving, we soon realize that when we purchase something for that special someone, we give of ourselves as well. We want the people we love to receive the very best of what this world has to offer. Yet when we search the human heart, we soon come to realize that the most important thing we want is to be loved for who we are and not for what we own or how we look.

Gift giving is characteristic of all cultures. Since the advent of human beings, there has been a tradition of giving gifts. Not only as expressions of love, friendship and gratitude to celebrate happy (and sad) events, gift giving is also used for charity such as providing aid to needy countries in times of misfortune.

Just as children often do, adults can get caught up with the pretty wrapping and decorations, and often forget about the genuine gift inside. Those of us here in North America, as well as others around the globe, are becoming conscious that we need to take care of our earth. One way we can do this is to adopt the wonderful Japanese tradition of cloth wrapping called furoshiki, an ecologically friendly alternative to the millions of tons of wrapping paper and shopping bags sent to landfills.

Take some time to ponder who you are and what gifts you bring to your relationships. If you remember, I suggested that the first one you name is your own special qualities and uniqueness. Your uniqueness and other special qualities are gifts that you are born with, and you also developed special talents as you grew up. Some of your abilities may be those that parents and teachers encouraged on your journey to maturity.

What is the gift you first give yourself? Are you caring, loving and compassionate, and do you forgive yourself when you make mistakes? If you do, in turn, you can show the same gentle kindness to others. They will appreciate a gift wrapped in love and attentiveness.

What other gifts do you bring to your relationships? Are you a cheerful, joyful, laughter-prone individual? When life hands you sour grapes, how do you react? What kind of environment do you create in your world of family and friends? Are you a joy to be around, at least, most of the time?

What if you have no money to buy expensive gifts? Here is a great way to take stock of your own uniqueness. Wrapped in your love and generosity, even the smallest gifts will be welcomed and treasured. Like the little drummer boy, the gift of your self would be the greatest gift of all.