'Tis the Season of Gift Giving

On a bitterly cold December weekday, driving to Curves, I happened to see a breathtaking vision of snowy white silhouette of Mt. Rainier highlighted by a brilliant sunrise of golds and reds. With all the stress of the holidays, the weather, and the pressing worry for the health of my best friend battling cancer, that one moment was a gift, a moment for me to be grateful to be alive. Doing the circuit at Curves, one friend told me her grandson did not attend the high school Tolo dance, cancelled because of a student’s suicide. Fifteen minutes later, another friend told me her son had donated his kidney to his childhood friend. The one, an act of despair, by definition the absence of hope; the other, an ennobling act of courage and a possibility of a future, the gift of life.

Curious Pandora of Greek mythology, opened a jar releasing all evils into the world; but the last remaining  of the daimones in the jar was Elpida, the spirit of hope. For all the ills of our world--disease, hard work, misery, and mortality that plague mankind--what is given to us to overcome our nature and fate is hope, a wish that something better will come into our life. Especially during this season of traditional gift-giving, we have opportunities daily to do small acts of kindness. Each of us can make a difference in another’s life, from the ultimate sacrifice of a part of one’s body, to the intrinsic selfless acts of taking the time to be with someone, to say a kind word or compliment a friend, family or stranger, and to exchange thoughtful, material gifts.

During this season of gift giving, I encourage you to consider the gift of life: donate blood, give non-perishables to the local food bank, plunk some change into the Salvation Army red kettle, and cull out the usable clothing and household items for charitable donations. Give the gift of time and yourself to a lonely person in a nursing home or volunteer at your local shelters or food banks. Bake cookies for a neighbor, give of yourself to family and friends with time spent with them. And be kind to yourself, so that you may nurture your own spirit as well as that of others.

I wish all of you the blessings of our daily lives, the love of family and friends, good health, and faith in a wondrous New Year.