gifts
I'm all jumbled these days.
being out of town.
preparing for Christmas.
my Mama's healing.
my brother's birthday (he would have been 46 today had he not frozen in time at 20)
SugarCookie's birthday tomorrow (27 oh my)
Little Missy's birthday friday (21 legal at last)
It's a big week.
I've been dwelling on the gift of giving.
gift ~ as in presents
all wrapped up for birthdays and christmas...
gift ~ as in talents
grace, teaching, faith, wisdom, knowledge, mercy, prophecy, tongues..et cetera...
(a talented tongue is a gift...yes?)
the art of giving
the art of gifting
and maybe most importantly...
being mindful of what I have been given.
being grateful...
and thankful....
for what I have been given.
It comes to mind that I am thankful for YOU reading this. I have been a less than faithful writer...and recently even an unfaithful reader...so I am thankful you surfed by...and that you have waded this far into my stream of consciousness... it is a gift that somebody learns what goes on in this pinball brain of mine.
(you are kinda like my flippers...ya know?)
I am thankful you are willing to "listen" to me ramble...even if it is not always an easy task to undertake. Cause you see.....even though I am an "Earth Girl" I am NOT Easy...nor would I ever want to be. (cheesy film reference).
Tis A Gift To Be Simple... true...I strive to be simple....yet another gift...but it would be a total drag to have to be easy.
So...to those of you who read my little weblog out of interest...not out of obligation....
Thank you for your gift of friendship.
One of my top five all time favorite Christmas stories is:
"The Gift of the Magi"
So much so that while in NYC for work I bullied one of my friends in to visiting Pete's Bar where O. Henry wrote his short story in 190-something.
( I even wore my own long hair pulled back in combs for about ten years...as if I could find true love with a pocket watch)
Not to be confused with THE Magi....The Three Wise Men (We Three Kings of Orient Are....) who followed the star to find the baby Jesus. Our tradition of Christmas gift giving derives from their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. An event which is very well documented outside of the Bible and which most of the world celebrates in the first week of January as the Epiphany.
I have had an Epiphany about gift giving...it is....well...quite simply...a gift.
To be able to recognize what an individual would embrace...a gift they would appreciate...is not always an easy task.
One of my kids won't give a gift they covet...that sounds selfish...but they are honest about what motivates their behaviour.
Another kid calls for a gift list..."what do you think [fill in the blank] would like." I am surprised how many of my suggestions they follow through with.
The other had picked out the exact perfect gift...and scared the recipient. They have become a bit gun shy in their personal gift giving... and as a result...are generous to a fault in everyday life.
Why do so many people get caught up in the hype? The bargain? The trendy gift of the year...that you have to stand in eph-n line for in the middle of the night? Do they really know someone who WANTS a gift like that?
If the giving becomes caught up in price and cost...it loses its value. If the focus is on comparison and competition....it is merely satisfying an obligation. If it becomes more about the stress and strain...it is not a gift...it becomes a present. (don't even get me started about wrapping...you've seen the way I decorate cookies...)
Don't get me wrong...I like receiving presents...I do.
Gifts that are given are presents...but not all presents given are gifts. To my way of thinking...a present is something that can be given to any number of different people...a true gift has been selected specifically for the recipient.
It is not always just the thought that counts.
I told you my mind is all pinballing....
8 comments:
((((((((((( katherine )))))))))))
Happy birthday to SugarCookie and Little Missy--and to the loved brother.
I do hope the adventure was a treat and a half....and that the mom is fairing well.
Yaknow, I'm inclined to agree with you--go figure that one.... There's an art to giving and an art to gifting....and I don't mistake the two--they wear differently even if they're both appreciated beyond, beyond.
Face it, I'm graced to be in the presence of Magi year round.
Oft times they have no clue the value of the gifts they bestow ....or even that they've gifted me to begin with.
Magi are like that though.
Sometimes they see the pretty box as the gift--other times they know it's nothing to do with the bows and paper.
....And sometimes they just walk humbly and pinball.
Blessings to you and yours.
Wonderful peacefilled wishes and calmness to you and yours.
Ah, but think about it - it IS the thought that counts. It's the thought that did or did NOT go in to choosing the present. If not thought at all was there, then it is just a present. If deep thought was present, then the present is a true gift.
Right?
Well, you may be pinballing, but I get it. I agree too.
Happy Birthday times three.
Have a terrific day and my you and the Teamster have a very Happy New Year. Big hug. :)
We like your pinballing, Katherine. You once wore combs in your hair? I can't imagine. Your hair is gorgeous and should be worn down the way you do now. Love it!
I hope your vacation was all you hoped it would be. Sending healing prayers to your mama. I'm also thankful for your gift of words to us this year.
They're always real.
If that is your mind pin balling...never let it stop.
Your words are so honest and open...
Funny, but I also mentioned the Gift Of The Magi today in my post...
OH AND It is Nancy's Birthday today...sharing it with your SugarCookie!
What I enjoy most about wading in your stream of consciousness is that the stream follows no particular path - it tumbles over rocks, twists over limbs, sparkles in patches of sunlight, and even occasionally darkens in a shadow or two. It is a true stream that runs directly from your mind through your fingertips and into our hearts. And that, my friend, is a gift to be treasured.
Happy New Year to you and yours and may 2009 bring you many wonderful gifts.
It's funny, never once have I felt the need to read here out of obligation. When you find someone you care about, that word doesn't fit into the equation.
May this year bring healing to your heart and peace to your soul.
you are a gift in yourself Katherine
x
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