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The Message Behind the Gift

Here is a little essay the Martha's Vineyard Times Printed in their Holiday Gift section this week.  I met lots of people at the Artisan's show who had cut it out to send friends- so I thought I'd share it with you here.

The Message Behind the Gift

By Ingrid Goff-Maidoff

I wish you happiness. 
 I wish you health. 
I wish you prosperity and love. 
 I wish you joy and peace
 and every blessing that life has to give. 

I wish you work that satisfies. 
I wish you courage and strength. 
I wish you passion and delight. 
 I wish you rich and fulfilling relationships
with family, friends, lovers
 and Life itself…

These are the intangible blessings that we wish for all beings, and this is the message behind every gift ~ a grand hope that renders each offering ever so humble by comparison.  We can’t give another person happiness- through purchase or transference, yet we pour our best wishes into giving a gift anyway, hoping to offer a gesture of our love at least in the form of temporary delight. 

We offer a gift as a token, a symbol, a reminder of our caring.  We do this as much for ourselves as for the recipient ~ it is a consolation of sorts.  We cannot give the intangible truths and treasures, and so we settle for simple pleasures: symbols of beauty, sweetness, wisdom, humor, love and light.  We know, in many ways, that each gift falls short of our biggest wish. Yet, with luck, the message behind the gift shines through: with a tin of edible treats is the wish for comfort and security; money might represent a blessing for prosperity; clothing symbolizes, perhaps, the warm arms of love; photographs represent fond memories and the promise of good times to come.  We wrap our gift with beautiful paper to show our thoughtfulness, and tie it with ribbon knowing in our hearts that life’s blessings are rarely packaged all neat and tidy. 

Whatever the offering, be it an extravagant gesture or humble token, it represents a deeper wish: Love and Joy to the world.  Peace on Earth.  Good Will to All.

 

~~~~~

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