The Gift of Giving
The Christmas holidays are often touted as the season of giving. Because of the unfortunate commercialization of the holiday, there’s generally a mad rush to purchase gifts for loved ones, friends, and colleagues. The stress and financial burden of the season for many ends up eclipsing the celebration of God’s miracles and the spirit of joy meant to fill everyone’s hearts. Lamentably, such a departure from the holiday’s original significance means that our children may not fully understand the true nature of giving. Moreover, relegating the act of giving to a particular season doesn’t exactly encourage incorporating the sentiment into our daily lives.
So, what does giving mean? Assuredly, we can give a physical gift, adorned with sparkly wrapping paper and a shiny bow as a token of love, gratitude, or appreciation. There isn’t anything wrong in displaying our emotions through material means. Seriously, who doesn’t love a birthday present? And you’ve likely heard of the five love languages: gifts, affirmations, quality time, acts of service, and physical touch. But if you’re also one of many who have either read or watched Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, you also know that “maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
Going back to the love languages, the other four similarly represent acts of giving. Spending quality time with another, whether engaged in an activity or simply listening, verbally expressing your affection and encouragement, or helping your community—all encompass the gift of giving. But there is a crucial component that must be present for the gift to hold meaning. You must give from the heart.
Giving from one’s heart is the underlying foundation to the gift of giving. When you give without expectation and give purely for the joy it elicits in the recipient, you inevitably reap a reward in the lift of your soul and the happiness you derive from the giving. When we let go of expectation in general, whether we’re the giver or the recipient, the outcome is far more likely to be positive, and there is less chance for disappointment to cloud the experience.
When Christmas or other holidays come around, my children know that nothing delights me more than their crafts and homemade cards. No store-bought gift could measure up to the value I place on the painstaking efforts of their little hands. My ear-to-ear grin and bear hug rewards them. I’m not saying they don’t run screaming to open their Christmas and birthday gifts, but they’ve also learned to find fulfillment in donating their pocket money to wildlife charities, wrapping toys for less fortunate children, and spending quality time with their elderly grandparents. Among the values we teach our children, generosity ranks high in my household, not in the material sense but in spirit.
The beauty in giving lies in its accessibility. Wealth doesn’t define the giver. Everyone may not have the means to donate large sums to charities or spend lavishly on gifts for others. But everyone can give of themselves, whether in time expended, advice imparted, service rendered, or support offered to another person. For those who learn to love themselves first and cultivate inner peace, giving comes naturally. It’s only then that the gift of giving becomes ingrained in our psyche and behavior. We all have the capacity to love and therefore, to give.
