Tuesday, December 22, 2015

BEST GIFTS I EVER GOT

Whether you are a Christian or not, it is impossible to ignore 
the frantic gift-giving/receiving/contemplating/hunting/gathering/chasing that sweeps the land at this time.

And would you want to? I do my version of it and enjoy every bit. 
Giftation, or Giftatis, take your pick. It’s in the air, and I’m not holding my breath. I’m taking it in.

But I got to thinking what makes a gift really great. For me, it turns out to be the same whether on the giving or receiving end of it. It has to do with purpose and thought. If something I do involves concentrating on the person and their needs, it is fulfilling. If I sense the same in something I’m given, it is rewarding.

Generic does nothing for me.

We say, “it’s the thought that counts,” and mean the gift was a dud, but at least the giver thought about us. I think this saying is a dud.
A good gift conveys the thought was directed and specific. I can feel the joy that went into it, and this joy is akin to the joy I have experienced giving in the same way.

A long time ago, in what could have been a galaxy far away, a little boy who knew I had always wished I had an older brother growing up, made me an older bother. He made my older brother by drawing him, almost life size, and giving him a birthday, (three years older than me) and a face. His name is “Mirka’s Older Brother,” and he hangs inside my closet and greets me every day to start my day right.

It didn’t cost; it was all thought. That little boy was my son, way back in kindergarten.

His little sister, not yet four at the time, taught herself to draw what she knew was my favorite animal. She practiced feverishly on hundreds of pieces of paper until she felt she had it. 

She gave mom a pet no one else had.

12 comments:

Vijaya said...

Aw, Mirka, these are priceless. I love to give and receive the gift of time.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Wonderful pictures, and I can see why you treasure such gifts. Merry Christmas.

Mirka Breen said...

The Gift of Time. Beautifully said, Vijaya.

Kelly Hashway said...

Gifts like these are the best. They come from the heart.

Barbara Etlin said...

Aw, what great gifts! They're treasures.

Years ago M received a priceless handmade birthday card from a 12-year-old friend: a Vulcan salute hand. (They are both Star Trek fans. The friend is now all grown up, married, and has a son.)

Janie Junebug said...

Those are great gifts. I think my favorite gift is a watercolor that my daughter did when she was about twelve. She had it beautifully framed. It's trees in the snow. As soon as I saw it, I knew she was a true artist.

Love,
Janie

Tina Cho said...

How sweet, Mirka. I have a box of drawings from my children, the best gifts, truly from their hearts.

Ann Herrick said...

I agree. The thoughtful gift makes the thought count. :)

Evelyn said...

What wonderful gifts from your children, Mirka! I agree with you totally. A gift that has specific thought of the receiver's likes and/or needs behind it, is a special gift.

Willow said...

Precious gifts. The kind that tug on the heart.

Anonymous said...

Just catching up on posts. Your special gifts are awesome and my favorite kind. I can see why you've saved them all these years. When I can't sleep the night before Christmas it's usually because I'm so excited to have found/made the perfect gift for someone. Gifts without lots of thought behind them are often just clutter.

janlcoates said...

Love those gifts! I buy a lot of my gifts at various consignment/used clothing places. It takes a lot of rooting to find that just-right something, but it's so exciting when I find it! And I always give the gifts with the proviso - please feel free to be honest - I can recycle it again if the person doesn't think they'd ever wear it. I'm too old for hurt feelings:)