All I Want for Christmas
My dad used to frustrate me and my sister to no end with his yearly Christmas request, "All I want for Christmas is for the two of you to quit fighting, just for one day." Yeah, right. Like that was going to happen. He had a better chance of getting two new front teeth! Now that I'm a parent, I understand just how perfect a gift that really is. Wrap it up and give me a dozen - one day a month for the next year! On the bright side, my sister and I don't fight anymore. Parents take heart - there is hope.
While parents want a respite from sibling feuds, there are some who would welcome the ruckus of infighting because it would mean they weren't alone. There are patients who will spend this Christmas isolated in an institution without any visitors. Many will experience a solitary Christmas in their homes, without family near enough to share in holiday festivities. Too many will endure a desolate Christmas on the streets.
The best gifts don't necessarily require money. Each one of us is in a unique position to offer someone a most priceless gift: companionship. Do you know of a local nursing home you could visit this Christmas Day? The nurses will know of patients who have no one coming to visit. Do you have a friend or acquaintance who has no family in town? Perhaps that person would like to sit at your table this Christmas. Or maybe he would appreciate a short visit from you in his home. Do you live in a city that has homeless people? There may be one who would enjoy company while he eats a meal. Food nourishes the body. Companionship nourishes the soul.
The most precious - and the most costly - gift we have to offer is our time. It requires us to give of ourselves. With the hectic pace of our lives, we may not even have to go outside of our own home to surprise someone with the gift of time. Our own family members may be longing for the gift of companionship.
What special Christmas gifts are you giving this year?