The Best Gift Ever....

Today's the last frenzied day of shopping for those who celebrate Christmas and I had a moment of quiet this morning to reflect upon this year and the gifts I've given and received. Though it's nice to share a few specially selected gifts on Christmas morning, my family's tradition, like to many others, used to be a gorging of gift giving that was over the top. Like candy, gift giving is good for the first few - after than it can start to be a bit sickening. Though I've scaled way back over the past few years as have many others - both out of necessity and out of a new consciousness - I still looked around this year and saw the signs of frenzy starting back up. It's like the past few years have been a forced austerity that people are ready to be done with. The problem is that we can't go back to the way things were - they weren't sustainable nor were they particularly good. However, there is something wonderfully sustainable that has come from all of this -

People have started to look at what is of value in their lives. I know I have. Having started a business right before the floor of our economy collapsed beneath us, I've had my share of sleepless nights, worried days, exhausted emotionally wrung out weeks. Sure, we could have claimed to be too far under and simply closed the business - but we chose to hang in there and see where this path lead us.

So, in the quiet of this morning, I saw clearly the gifts given me. The gift of friendship where I least expected it; the gift of support from complete strangers; the gift of good cheer (and just a bit of cheerleading) from close friends who simply gave me encouragement when all seemed bleak. In return, I provided a bit of my own cheeleading to them when their days were dark.

A good friend of mine moved her family 2,000 miles to take advantage of an opportunity that presented itself to her family. In the midst of the move, she wondered about her choice and worried about her sanity. It happened to be at a time that things were on a bit of an even keel for me. I was able to return the favor of support, even at a distance, of just being there.

I think about others in my life who've turned to me for support, assistance and cheerleading and hope I've been as good a friend to them as they have to me. After all, that's the gift exchange that matters.

So, this Christmas, I'll open a few gifts but more importantly, I will acknowledge the help I got all year long as the best gift ever.

Thanks to my family, friends, loved ones and perfect (very perfect) strangers for all that good cheer for the past 364 days. Here's to the best gift ever.

Now, go just out there and share the love.