Holidays always give me pause to reflect. Holidays create a space that takes me out of the inauthentic world of work and the absorption of profit. Holidays put me back in touch with things that matter.
The day before Thanksgiving I think of all I’m grateful for. The list is long. Then I go beyond it, to the concept of giving, the next holiday coming up to ponder. It is a very simple joyous thing to do, to give. I try not to wonder about gifts as objects I’ll have to buy, things I’ll have to come up with and purchase for people I owe, people I love. I’ll think more about freely tossing a smile into the environment of my daily life, spending more on light bulbs that conserve energy, taking the time to email an old friend. I’ll think of giving as an art, a sharing of affection, a way of showing gratitude and admiration to those that so deserve it.
Perhaps I’ll find that the art of giving is a celebration of love and that there are very few rules and even fewer secrets. Maybe I’ll discover that when I give, I reveal my true self, the way flowers need no other language than their petals to reveal their beauty. Yes, gifts entice, like candy and I love to receive. Gifts tickle the senses, like dolls and teddy bears, and I love to laugh. Gifts are alluring, like perfume, and intoxicating, like wine and I love to love. Gifts can be elegant as diamonds and as lasting as faith and I do believe. I think tomorrow, I’ll give a kiss, a hand, a dollar. I’ll give my time, my wisdom and my heart. Giving should not only be a monetary indulgence; “giving” marks our place on this planet, and like any gift from one soul to another, it is truly life’s most profound joy. Maybe, tomorrow will be the beginning of a world that gives handshakes, solace and respect. Maybe tomorrow the world won’t know any other way.
