We have finished the Christmas “giving season” again. Sometimes, that period of shopping and giving can be a burden rather than a pleasure. Then it has little to do with Christmas, but is just another social expectation, an obligation. I hope that has not been your experience this year. Today, I began thinking about gifts we received at other times. They came to us just because someone was kind.

     This morning, I looked up at the old-fashioned wooden wind-up clock hanging on the wall in our living room. It looks like those I remember from school rooms in my early years there, 1945-1950. But I also remember those two little ladies (they were twins), who gave it to us about 40 years ago. They were already well into their 70s at the time. It might have been a housewarming gift when we moved into their neighborhood. It makes me smile to think of their generosity.

     Then, I immediately thought of our two-person Ocean Kayak, which someone gave us when we were leaving that community, a fabulous emblem of their appreciation we could never forget. They did it secretly, so others would not know, and it would not call attention to them and their generosity. I remember them every time I use it or look at it.

     One day, someone gave us a beautiful stained-glass panel depicting white lilies in bloom. It’s about 15" by 30". A product of his personal hobby, it always reminds me of his smile when I gaze at it hanging in a window in my study. He brought it out when I happened to visit him and his wife at their home.

     In a different year, another artist gave us a similar stained-glass panel she had made, showing our favorite bird, the common loon. It hangs prominently in a window of our living room. I suspect she knew nothing of the other person’s hobby craft. Her gift also surprised me with its beauty and her unassuming eagerness to share it with us. It was no special occasion, just a day in which her generous spirit blessed me.

     Someone else, who worked with me frequently as a volunteer in ministry, surprised me one day. She handed me a very early edition of Stuart’s book, City of the Bees, a marvelous telling of the intricate roles, relationships, and ways that bees live together in a wild bee colony. Published in 1949, it is a collector’s item. It was precious to her, and has become precious to me. I cannot forget her.

     On the occasion of my retirement, I was presented with a new fishing rod. It was meant as a reminder of the love and good wishes of a whole body of people, those of my church. I still use it today, 25 years later. Although much smaller than a kayak, that gift symbolized the flowing love I experienced at that moment. I will never forget those dear people and the smile of the one handing it to me.

     A few months ago, two friends offered to proofread and critique the book I was preparing to publish about my grandparents' lives. It’s a big book. They both took the time to read it carefully and then gave me critical comments, suggestions, and corrections. Their gifts, given freely and eagerly, have blessed me immensely. They are unforgettable.

     There are other gifts around our home I could list today, and they all tell me something. When we give wholeheartedly, we can leave a mark, convey a message without words, and create sweet memories that enrich someone's life. That’s why I hope to be a giver who blesses others often, with gifts that may or may not cost much. A gift given with love makes my life rich, too.

                                                                                                                                  © 2026 Stanley Hagemeyer