Dear Reader---a Christmas Gift

We are approaching a period of time when glitter and excitement take hold of our imagination. Who among us would not desire to send a gift, bring a meal to a senior or better still, invite a family to share your dinner table? In my older years of 70 plus two precious months, I really appreciate the gifts my mom and dad left me with, and the ones with meaning did not come gift-wrapped. They were lessons in life, wisdom and practicality along with a heaping spoonful of love.

This is the kind of gift I wish to impart to you---yet I do not desire to take away any of the cherished moments you may have with a younger person gazing at their large, beautifully wrapped gift, and for the lucky givers, a thank you on their lips. In my Christmas childhood days, something practical like a wrapped pencil and erasure was sufficiently cherished. A cap gun with a small box of caps was such a treasure, along with a pair of socks, meant a special treat.

It is not my intention to demean the attitudes of our young today, but I do lament on what some have inherited. Somehow the gift of giving has been reduced to ‘things’ and as they grow older they will discover this is so shallow. That is, unless the child receives gifts with appreciation translated into sharing with the less fortunate.

It grieves me recently to have seen some youngsters in their early teens throw away apples and oranges into the town litter bins from their mom-prepared school lunches. In my early years, such treats would suit a King or Queen when we discovered them in our stockings hung out for Santa. There are still a few modern children needing to be re-trained in the art of appreciating such items.

So, good readers---THIS MESSAGE is my Christmas gift for you---No fancy wrapped ones, nor gift card with large numbers---just thoughts of you and yours in my heart, and prayers too, this delightful time of year. Eat well, share stories, pray for each other openly, and provide hugs for one another (many of them) intertwined with “I love you’s.” Because when life’s twilight arrives, all those plastic toys, costly cloth labels, and tech instruments should be gone by the wayside and replaced with love and good memories.

© Richard L. Provencher