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Some of my earliest memories from childhood are of
sneaking under the Christmas tree to see what gifts had my name on them. I
can remember lifting, shaking, and even peeling back some wrapping paper
in order to see what toys my parents had gotten me. One Christmas before I
could read I even opened every single gift under the tree. The December
after I turned five, however, I was in for a shock. I looked under the
tree and found not a single present with my name on the tag. There were
gifts there for everyone else but nothing with a "to Joe" on it.
I was heartbroken. It wasn’t so much that I was
getting no toys. It was the fact that they had forgotten about me. Never
in my young life had I felt unloved until that moment. With tears in my
eyes I went and got some old toys of mine and some leftover wrapping
paper. I had started to wrap them so that I could have something under the
tree when my Mom caught me. Taking me in her arms she lovingly explained
that I hadn’t been forgotten. They had gotten me presents but had decided
to hide them from my prying eyes and fingers until Christmas Day. Looking
back now I can’t even remember what I got that year, but I will always
remember that reassuring moment in my Mother’s arms. The gift of love she
gave me then remains in my heart to this day
It is the gifts of love that are the greatest gifts
of all. Jesus’ entire life was a gift of love. As we celebrate His
birthday this year then let us all seek to give the gifts of love as well.
The gentle hugs, the caring looks, the joyful smiles, and the warm words
of love we give will mean more than anything we buy in a store. The time
we share, laughter we spread, and kindness we shower on others will live
on in their hearts forever.
Leo Buscaglia once said that, "Life is God’s gift to
you and how you live it is your gift to God." May your gift be a loving
one at Christmastime and always.
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