Friday, December 3, 2010

The Joy of Giving

I have noticed more than one of my friends agonizing about the "perfect gift". They worry about what the recipient likes, what the recipient wants, what size the recipient is, what to do if the recipient doesn't like the gift, etc., etc., etc.

I am going to share with you the very best gift-giving lesson I ever learned. Ready?

Here it is:

ALL YOU CAN DO IS GIVE THE GIFT. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM.

I give books. I have been told by more than one person that not everyone likes books. I know this. I have 17 grandchildren. I know this. I also know, that some dreary afternoon when all of the batteries have died on all of the remote controlled toys and the kids have been grounded from the television, someone will remember the books. Then, when you least expect it, a grandson will call and say something on the order of "Gram? You know that "Treasure Island" book? It's pretty good."

Angels will sing.

And if this never happens? Oh, well.

I have given a gift from my heart. I have shared a childhood memory. I have given love encased in covers.

This is all that matters.

ALL YOU CAN DO IS GIVE THE GIFT. YOU CANNOT CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT.

Merry Christmas.

6 comments:

Sayre said...

Sing it, Sister!!!!

I give my son books. They aren't always the cool books that everyone's reading (though he gets those too), but he zooms through those popular ones and has nothing left - but the OTHER books I gave him. He read TREASURE ISLAND that way and really got into it. And when he was done, was amazed at how much he liked it. Kids need all kinds of experiences - and sometimes that's not getting what they expected when they unwrapped that gift... the one that turns out to be the real treasure.

bichonpawz said...

I agree with Sayre! You Sing It Sister!!

Books are the BEST!! And even if they don't like the book...they can regift the book!!

Kids today do NOT read enough. Not nearly enough. Most of them probably don't even know what the inside of a library looks like!!

Sayre said...

Funny! This morning, my son was re-reading a book I gave him three years ago. It took him two years to open it, then he read right through it. and now he's reading it again!

Karmyn R said...

Absolutely great advice!!!!

Pamela said...

have given books in the past.
This year I strayed.

Richard said...

Did you forget your pass word again?

 
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