Gifts of lasting meaning

Like everyone, we've got a full calendar for December … shopping, presents, parties, plans, preparations, cooking, cleaning, hosting, visiting. But stop for a minute and reflect: Why am I doing all this? Who am I trying to please? Or just impress?

This holiday is meant to be a celebration of the purest, simplest, and most complete love ever known—the love of a heavenly Father who sent His Son to live among us, to teach us how to love, to make our lives better and happier. He eliminated the need for complex rules and rituals and taught us that we didn't have to be perfect, get everything right, and live up to unrealistic high expectations. All we had to do was love Him and love our neighbour and with that, we'd please Him and find happiness.

Why not try something different this year and strive for simplicity in our Yuletide celebrations? Clear out some of the unnecessary clutter of events and expenses. Leave time to concentrate on the things that will have lasting meaning for us and others, find someone with fewer blessings than us and reach out to fulfill some need he or she has.

Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto, CA, USA