What do you give when you have nothing to give?
It’s that time of year again when many stress out about what gift to give and who to give it to. People run from one place to another moving from store to store and from mall to mall spending even the money they don’t have (aaaahhh… MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, etc. etc. etc.). For those who have decided not to deal with traffic and buy online, the concern remains the same… what do I get for “so and so?” Added pressure comes when you receive a gift from someone you didn’t buy a gift for or don’t have on your original “gift list.” When that happens, what do you do? Do you run out at the last minute and buy something to give to that person even though you didn’t originally intend to give that person a gift? And then, when all is said and done and all is done and said, there comes the day after Christmas when too many people are standing on the “Return” lines at stores because they didn’t like what they got. They return the gift for store credit or a refund. The stores even give “Gift Receipts” now in anticipation of the gift possibly being returned. After someone stresses over giving away that perfect sweater or other knick-knacks, at the end of the day, the gift ends up at the store in the returns pile like the gifts on Misfit Toys Island seen on the Christmas TV special. Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer.
But what do you give when you have no gifts to give? Are your financial resources at the limit? Can’t change a material or physical item? What can you give? The story and song about The Little Drummer Boy is my favorite Christmas story because of the answer to the very questions I have asked in this post. If you are familiar with the story, there are many people gathered around a long open box or trough where the horses or cattle feed in a stable where baby Jesus has just been born. The story goes that everyone in the group had come prepared with gifts for the newborn King. Everyone except…you guessed it, the little drummer.
Like us, the little drummer felt bad that he didn’t have a gift to give, but then he came up with it. He had something. He would give the best he had, which was himself… his talent. The only thing he had with him was his drum and his ability to play it and play it made him (I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum bomb). He admitted that he was a poor boy (I am also a poor boy, pa rum pum pum pum) and that he had no gift to bring (I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum), but it asked my permission (I’m going to play for you, pa rum pum pum pum), to play his drum. The baby’s mother nodded affirmatively (Maria agreed, pa rum pum pum pum) and before everything was over the animals marked the time (The ox and the lamb marked the time, pa rum pum pum pum) and the baby smiled (Then he smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum). I could be wrong, but I don’t think gold or frankincense or myrrh or any of the other gifts got a smile like the smile depicted in the song lyrics.
My point in writing this post is that sometimes the best gifts are not monetary or material. Sometimes even when we think we have nothing to give, we do. How can that be what you say? How about we start with a smile, since you never know how much a smile can mean to someone having a bad day? A hug. A handwritten note/card. A random act of kindness without seeking to be rewarded. Your talent as in history. Find a way to show that you care about what matters most to that person. Something handmade. The list can go on and on.
So this holiday season, if you’re feeling financially constrained, come up with a list of ways you can send a message of love and joy that stays with the recipient long after the gift has been consumed, returned, used or put away. Have a Happy Hannukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!