Celebrate the true spirit of gift-giving!
When my son turned three, he started to understand the eminence of gifts-of course, he had a very selfish approach to it-he only wanted them for himself! As I watched him clamor for gifts on every occasion and being disappointed on occasions when he could not get what he wanted, I began to feel that, somewhere along the line, the whole tradition of gift giving has transformed itself into a viciously selfish tradition. Unfortunately, this selfish behavior is not restricted to children. It has permeated the behavior of the grown ups who are disappointed if the people they give gifts to do not reciprocate the gesture by giving them gifts of the same value. They give because they expect.
Most of us have had the pleasure of reading that beautiful short story titled’ The Gift of the Magi’. As a teenager, I had tears in my eyes after I finished reading the story that tells of the sacrifices of a young couple who sell off their most precious treasures in order to buy a gift for each other. In the end, the sacrifices are wasted in the material sense, but their bond of love is stamped with a seal of everlasting love. Gift giving, nowadays, is not about making sacrifices anymore. It is about flaunting your money power and buying people’s appreciation and love in exchange for the expensive gifts that we give them. You may feel that I sound a little too harsh. I may be disillusioned with what the tradition of gift giving has transformed into but, like an eternal optimist, I believe that we have the power to change it all. All of us can teach our children the true essence of gift giving and the sentiments that are associated with it. When you see your children sharing their favorite toys with their friends, seize the moment to appreciate them and applaud them for their generosity and companionship. Teach them the value of sacrificing the things that we love for the good of others. Teach them to give and not to expect. The tradition of gift giving is based on selfless love and generosity. We give to others because we love them and we can part with the things we love to bring happiness to others. So, this season, when you buy a gift for your loved ones, give them something that you would like for yourself but would rather give it to them , because their happiness is more important to you than your own. Let’s all celebrate the tradition of gift giving in the most selfless of spirits!