The perfect gift

Whilst Christmas shopping, this year, I came across a little boy staring intently at the toy shelves. He was blocking the aisle and, blushing, explained to impatient shoppers that he was sorry but he only had 5.00 to buy Christmas presents for his 3 brothers and he wanted to make sure he got the very best gifts.

My first reaction was to bolt for the front of the store; thinking that I should retrieve some cash to "better" his Christmas. As my footsteps approached the ATM, however, I began to reflect on memories of Christmases past.

I remembered standing with a few dollars in my pocket and not a lot of options, but carefully contemplating the few that I had. One year I bought my brother a plastic boat for the bath, a keychain for my mom, and a pair of gloves for my dad. I was tremendously proud of those gifts. Not only because they required a fair amount of thought to pick out, but also because while I had little money, it was my money. I had earned it. I had carefully budged it, and spent every last penny of it on people I loved.

While it would have been awesome to have a stranger hand me an extra 20.00 to buy gifts for my family. It wouldn't have "made" my Christmas. It may have, in fact, distracted from the careful sincerity required in my simple gifts.

I didn't give that boy any more money. I didn't want to make him feel as if I thought his money and/or gifts were insufficient. There is no better gift than the one that is carefully chosen.


I was, again, humbled when my son presented me with a gift.  He is 5 years old and doesn't make a substantial allowance, but he had saved up a few dollars and asked to be taken to walmart to pick a gift for me. After careful consideration he picked out a beautiful necklace for me. It was not an expensive necklace. It likely cost him little more than 5.00, but it was from the heart in a powerful way. He had worked hard to earn the money he had and to prove his love, he had used the work of his tiny hands and his giant heart to buy his mommy a present. He beamed with pride when I opened the gift and I absolutely refuse to take it off.

I wouldn't have wanted a stranger to hand him a 20.00 bill for him to buy just anything. I loved that he used what he had.

Giving is not, as the world teaches, a competition of quantity, but instead a deep demonstration of quality. A gift with an excess of dollar signs just cannot compete with a gift who truly has something to say.