Wednesday, December 17, 2008

what it's all about

a friend said to me today, I think I'm pretty selfish, I think mostly of me. I should be thinking more outward. maybe on a friday I should go help at the homeless shelter, instead of heading to alta to ski. maybe it should be more about other people and less about me.

the other night I received the best gift of the season, and it will warm my heart for I don't know how long:

one of the people my kids do this "secret elf" 12-days of Christmas thing for is a man who lives a few doors up the street, an older man who lives by himself. two nights ago he left a card and a wrapped present sitting by his door, waiting for my kids, the envelope addressed to "my secret elves."
the present was a box of our favorite yummy cookies (those pirouline, long skinny wafer tubes filled with heavenly stuff inside), which we will lovingly devour. but the card was my gift of the season, for on it he wrote,
I can't tell you how much it has meant to me, to be included in your holiday season.

life needs balance, and skiing is a vital part of my friend's life. it provides exercise and--more importantly--stress relief for him. but if he knew what it felt like to receive the kind of a gift I received from that card, he might choose to ski a lot less this season.

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