“The greatest gifts are not wrapped in paper but in love.” 
~ Apratim Arya

Have grandchildren, will travel!

(Safely, of course.)

We just got back from Southern California on Saturday where we visited our son and his family. We leave again for Maryland soon to spend Christmas with our daughter and her family.

Saturday was also my birthday, and I’ve barely had time to process the amazing events of this week.

Some people dislike having December birthdays. They feel slighted having to compete with the holidays. I’ve never felt that way. I’m happy my special day falls in the middle of a magical season.

Since friends and family knew I’d be out of town, very few of the presents I got this year came in a box. And yet it was a week filled with delights—one I’ll treasure for a long time. Here’s a sample of what I received:

The gift of light—California does Christmas lights like I’ve never seen before. The drive-thru light show at Six Flags Magic Mountain was incredible. Our toddlers were wide-eyed. On a walk in my son’s neighborhood just after dark we saw over-the-top, Hallmark movie-worthy displays. Neighbors huddled around fire pits in their driveways and called “Merry Christmas” to each other and the passers-by.

The gift of food—I cook a lot, so it was heaven to get a break and enjoy my daughter-in-law’s delicious home-cooked meals. On our return I found that a friend had dropped off my favorite guilty pleasure of late—white chocolate cranberry bread from a local bakery—and another left a box of Christmas cookies.

The gift of memory—My dearest friend of 38 years, who shares my love of Christmas ornaments, texted me photos of ornaments I had made for her or sent to her over the years. Last year I found a tiny calendar from 1982 on which I had recorded the date of the party where we met. Now each year on December 3rd we celebrate our friendship anniversary.

The gift of music—A newer friend with whom I have a deepening relationship left me a voicemail where she sang the birthday song. She is multitalented, but I had no idea she had such an angelic voice. I received my first music downloads this year: Tori Kelly’s new Christmas album and several of Sara Niemietz’s new songs.

The gift of humor—One of my besties, the editor of this blog, has a quirky sense of humor. Years ago she started giving me silly pens and it’s become a tradition. This year’s offering? A candy stripe version with a fuzzy pink pom pom and a bow tie on it.

The gift of words— My son-in-law is a man of few words, so I appreciate the warm, sensitive thoughts he writes in greeting cards. He and my daughter sent me Glennon Doyle’s bestseller Untamed, which I am so looking forward to reading. This year I treated myself to more than my usual number of books. So many titles, so little time!  

The gift of time—Speaking of time, some of the most precious moments of the week were two late afternoon walks with my son where we got to catch up on life and talk about our hopes for the future. He had just received a glowing performance review, which tells me that he is finally working for people who know how lucky they are to have him.

The gift of pride—Today our daughter graduated with her master’s. She accomplished it despite working full time and having an active toddler and a husband who travels at times. This mama could not be any more proud of her two grown children!

The gift of acknowledgement—My parents are both gone, but this year my siblings and I started doing family Zoom sessions for our birthdays. Each sibling took a turn and told me what they admired about me. My love language is “words of affection,” so that online visit was incredibly touching. These sessions have strengthened our already strong bonds. I wrote down their sentiments so I would remember them always.

The gift of love—Far from being forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, my friends celebrated me in spades in the form of phone calls, texts, and Facebook posts. Thank you all! My heart is so full.

We may not be able to hug each other yet, but we are resilient, and are finding creative and thoughtful ways to express our love to each other in 2020. 

If you’re stressing trying to find the perfect gift for someone this week, or panicking that the one you ordered won’t arrive in time, remember that simple gifts from the heart are often the most meaningful. 

Happy Holidays!

Affectionately,

 Elaine