It is that time of year again when many worry about what gift to give and to whom to give gifts. People run back and forth moving from store to store and mall to mall spending even the money they don’t have (aaaahhh … MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, etc. etc. etc.). For those who have decided not to deal with the traffic and shop online, the concern remains the same … what do I get for “So and So”? The added pressure comes when you receive a gift from someone you didn’t buy a gift for or don’t have on your original “gift list.” When that happens, what do you do? Do you run out at the last minute and buy something to give that person even though you didn’t originally intend to give that person a gift? And then when all is said and done and all is done and said, the day after Christmas comes, where too many people are standing in the “Return” lines at the stores because they didn’t like what they got. They return the gift for a store credit or refund. The stores even give “Gift receipts” now in anticipation of the possible return of the gift. After someone got stressed out about giving away that perfect sweater or other trinkets, at the end of the day, the gift returns to the store in the returns pile like the gifts on Misfit Toy Island seen on the TV special of Christmas Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer.
But what do you give when you don’t have any gifts to give? Are your financial resources maxed out? Can’t exchange a material or physical item? What can it give? The story and song about The Little Drummer Boy is my favorite Christmas story because of the answer to the same questions I have asked in this post. If you are familiar with the story, there are many people gathered around a box or long trough where they eat horses or cattle in a stable where the baby Jesus was just born. The story goes that everyone in the group had come prepared with gifts to give to the newborn King. Everyone except … you guessed it, the little drummer.
Like us, the little drummer felt bad about not having a gift to give, but then it occurred to him. I had something. He would give the best he had, which was himself … his talent. The only thing he had with him was his drum and his ability to play it and play it did (I played my best for him, pa rum pum pum bang). He admitted that he was a poor childI’m also a poor boy, pa rum pum pum pum) and that he had no gift to bring (I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum), but asked permission (Should I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum?), to play on your drum. The baby’s mother nodded that yes (Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum) and before it was all over, the animals took time (The ox and the lamb marked the time, pa rum pum pum pum) and the baby smiled (Then he smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum). I could be wrong, but I don’t think gold, frankincense or myrrh or any of the other gifts will bring a smile like the one shown in the song’s lyrics.
My point in writing this post is that sometimes the best gifts are neither monetary nor material. Sometimes even when we think we have nothing to give, we do. How can you say that? How about we start with a smile, since you never know how much a smile can mean to someone who is having a bad day? A hug. A short handwritten note / card. A random act of kindness without seeking reward. Your talent as in history. Find a way to show that you care about what matters most to that person. Something made by hand. The list can go on and on.
So this holiday season, if you feel like you are financially constrained, come up with a list of ways you can convey a message of love and joy that stays with the recipient long after the gift has been consumed, returned, used, or put away. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and New Year!
