Search
Most Popular Articles
- Discussion of the Human Body Defense System
- The story of the 12 animals zodiac in China
- How to Balance Your Body to Get Pregnant
- How To Stop Your Cat Scratching - Get Rid Of Those Fleas
- Eating Junk Food -- The Hidden Price
- Ski Boots -- Testing 1, 2, 3
- Wear it Up or Wear it Down?
- Cat Care, Cat Products and Cat Diseases
- Choosing a Cell Phone
- Artificial Satellite Types
The Gift My Brother Couldnt Give
 Category |
: Family |
 Times Read |
: 66 |
 Date |
: 09 April 2008 07:00 |
by: Gary E. Anderson
From the book A Heartland Christmas Collection
Gary Anderson
www.abciowa.com
In the first years after my brothers, sister, and I left home, there were several Christmases in which our ability to give fell far short of our desire. In fact, we often found ourselves getting very creative if we were going to give any Christmas presents at all. But those early Christmases also contained some of the finest gifts Ive ever received, and one of those was the gift my brother Jim thought he couldnt give.
Jim had chosen a difficult road, working for himself instead of collecting a weekly paycheck like the one I got from the department store where I worked, and his funds were always limited.
As Christmas approached, we all searched for the perfect gift for each family member. Since I knew Jim harbored a secret desire to write, I bought him two beautifully hardbound books consisting of nothing but empty pages, so he could fill them with his own words. They werent expensive, but I knew hed love them.
As we gathered around our parents tree on Christmas morning, Jims smile shown brightly as he watched his loved ones begin to unwrap the strangest assortment of gifts Id ever seen. One by one, family members exchanged mystified looks as they opened one totally unexplainable gift after another. My sister received a well-used meditation candle. My youngest brother opened a half-empty box of incense. But Jim just sat cross-legged on the floor, unfazed by the puzzled looks and embarrassed thank yous.
Just when Id decided my brother had lost his mind, Dad opened his gift. It was a tattered paperback copy of Lord of the Rings, which I instantly recognized as one of Jims most prized possessions. Then I knew what hed been doing. That Christmas, Jim had chosen to make gifts of most precious things he possessed, the things dearest to his heart. In sharing his most beloved treasures, he also hoped to share the joy theyd given him with those he loved most.
It didnt matter that Dad mostly likely would have had more interest in wading through "Volume 7" of an encyclopedia printed in Swahili than the psychedelic world of Tolkein. He understood the profound meaning of his sons gift. Fighting back tears, Dad held the treasured volume in his hands and said, "I promise to give it back, son, as soon as Ive read it."
Smiling broadly, Jim turned his attention to my gift to him. Although he was clearly moved by the books, a strange awkwardness washed over the room as I realized he had no gift for me. After a long moment, he said softly, "I looked through everything I owned, and I couldnt find anything I thought you might want."
Now it was my turn to fight back the tears. Apparently, my brother had no idea of the incredible gift hed just given me in that simple statement. After all, what could be a greater gift than to know someone thinks highly enough of you to want to give the very best he hasand comes up short?
I smiled and said, "The look on your face is gift enough for me, brother," and I meant every word.
I got many other gifts that year, but I dont remember any of them. And Ive been given hundreds of presents since that Christmas long ago, but I can recall only a few of those. But my brothers giftthe one he thought he couldnt givewill always be one of the most precious gifts Ive ever received.
© 2004. Gary E. Anderson. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Gary Anderson is a freelance writer, editor, ghostwriter, and manuscript analyst, living on a small Iowa farm. Hes published more than 500 articles and four books. Hes also ghosted a dozen books, edited more than 30 full-length manuscripts, produced seven newsletters, and has done more than 800 manuscript reviews for various publishers around the nation. If you need writing or editing help, visit Garys website at www.abciowa.com.
abciowa@alpinecom.net
Random Article 1 |
Random Article 2 |
Who can resist Chocolates for Valentines Day? Your dogs health depends on it! (resisting, that is). We humans get to indulge because most of us know when to stop. But your dog wont quit after just a few. Give her a chance and shell down the whole box of Godivas in one gulp. So on Valentines Day, you
|
If there is an art to getting horses to load in a trailer, then this it. The first thing that must happen is communication between the horse and his handler. The horse must understand what is required of him and the handler must make it easy to understand. Thus, you must start by getting the horse t
|
Random Article 3 |
Random Article 4 |
Michael Losier 2004. You may include this article in your ezine or on your website or distribute it to others, provided you include the copyright statement and the bio information tag line found at the end of this article. This year (2004), Ive completed over 64 seminars. And one of the most common
|
Ive had a lot of people tell me that setting up theirbudget was simple but when it came to living by itpayday after payday they admitted losing interest ina very short time.Lets face it. The day to day drudgery of trying tofigure out how to best spend your money isnt the mostinteresting aspect of ou
|
| indir notebook hiperucuz.com teknoloji forum hava kargo adtech ile reklam 2.0 dönemi ba?l?yor ve Trkycmhrytllbtpydrklcktr r10.net seo yar??mas? |