Christmas Gifts
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.
Joseph J. Mazzella joecool@wirefire.com