There are 20 days until Christmas…
and 15 until the beginning of Hanukkah.
The daily hustle and bustle is definitely “on.”
Have you noticed at times…
that the very meaning and spirit…
of what you are celebrating…
gets unintentionally swallowed up…
in the tasks that surround that celebration?
It’s nuts.
Years ago…
when our three oldest boys were little…
we spent a day rolling, cutting out…
and baking cookies.
Then we spent even more time…
decorating each one “perfectly.”
You who are parents…
know what I mean.
Cookies with icing piped…
in an unsteady hand…
resulting in squiggly, shaky edges…
interesting color combinations…
and piles of embellishments…
that can threaten even the most secure dental work!
Yep, those were our cookies!
At this time…
Hero Hubby had…
an especially prestigious client.
In fact…
in every sense of worldly definition…
he had arrived.
Wealth…
fame…
power…
and prestige were all his.
He had a complete household staff…
to go along with this success.
The cookies were lovingly packaged in tins…
and sent for this staff…
via Hero Hubby messenger service.
This gentlemen looked on…
while each individual received their humble gifts.
He waited patiently for his.
When none appeared…
he was absolutely crestfallen.
He inquired as to when and if…
any Helms homemade…
would be coming his way.
His inquisition was genuine.
It taught our boys a tremendous lesson…
and served as an even more poignant reminder…
for their parents.
Any gift…
given sincerely…
and genuinely from the heart…
is difficult to outdo.
Something that is planned…
crafted and delivered…
with all of the love and care…
an individual can muster…
can mean more…
than the most expensive…
or extravagant purchase.
When this gentleman…
received his very own special delivery…
he asked his personal chef…
to serve his culinary delights with lunch…
and showed off his cookies…
to others as if individuals…
from The Food Network…
had created them especially for him!
Fast forward to this past weekend.
As you know…
Son #1 is living on his own.
One of his favorite activities…
during the holiday season…
is choosing and trimming…
our Christmas tree.
He loves everything about it.
The examination…
with detailed scrutiny…
the scent…
the unpacking of the ornaments…
and ultimately the finished product.
He commented…
that since he will…
be coming home for Christmas early…
that he wouldn’t get a tree of his own.
Sons #4 and #5…
knew exactly what to give him…
for his 23rd birthday.
There wasn’t a lot of pomp…
flash…
or circumstance.
There was however…
an incredible amount…
of heart…
coupled with tremendous love.
I wished you could…
have seen his face…
when his brothers…
handed him his living tabletop tree…
complete with personally crafted ornaments.
A seemingly little thing…
became extraordinarily significant…
in the hands of those who executed…
that gift with love.
And it is, after all…
hundreds and hundreds…
of seemingly little things…
placed end to end…
layer upon layer…
and line upon line…
that make up the fabric of our lives.
They are what we ultimately remember.
May your holiday…
hold lots and lots of little things…
and may you intentionally execute…
them for others…
which will result in huge personal blessings.
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