The Perfect Gift
Somewhere along the line I realized that at Christmas time I got the part about who the Savior is mixed up. I felt all this responsibility on my shoulders to find the perfect gift for each person in my life, as if “the perfect gift” would somehow “save” them from….what? I’m not sure but I seemed to feel it was my responsibility, and the totally self-imposed pressure of it was ridiculous.
I can’t help but wonder if I’m not the only one that has felt this odd compulsion. I’m not sure if it is a result of choosing peace over and over this year, or if I simply realized I am not responsible or capable of creating true lasting happiness for another person. Happiness, like peace, is a choice each of us has to make on our own.
I have a physical gift for each of the people in my life that it is standard for me to give a gift to, but hopefully this year I can also just give them the gift of my own peace and presence. I can choose not to allow guilt or mistaken responsibility to stress me out.
When my kids were little we were very poor and I didn’t have enough money to give them lots of gifts but I wanted them to have tons of packages under the tree. So a few months before I started hiding any toys they left out and when Christmas came I wrapped them up and put them under the tree. Christmas day they were surprised to discover their old toys that were suddenly “new” to them again. It was a silly, fun thing to do and they still talk about it. My kids needed me, with a happy attitude more than they needed the latest gadget. All of us, even during the lean times have so many more blessings than we can ever count. This attitude of gratitude helps me to find peace and hopefully spread it to others.
