Giving gifts is a vital part of life...
receiving gifts is something
that no one should take for granted...
giving gifts is something
that always fills me with delight...
receiving gifts is a gift, in and of itself -
especially to those people
who say that love and happiness
is the thing that they have always wanted
and all that anyone in life truly needs.

Giving a gift should be easy -
which, for the most part, it is;
the hardest thing is always
the selecting of what to buy,
for whom, and why...
receiving a gift should be second nature;
however, for some people, for some reason,
receiving gifts can make them feel uncomfortable,
because they feel as if they cannot reciprocate
the same value of gift that they have been given.

A gift given and received
can range from something as simple
and yet meaningful as a ring, or a CD,
to a car, or a plane-ticket
to somewhere with a beach;
but the important gift that anyone
on Earth give is of course
the gift of their time -
which is gift that is free
and one which that will last a lifetime.

The act and the art of giving a gift
should be painless;
however, unfortunately, some people
can be incredibly particular
about what they want to be given,
when, why, and how -
and sometimes meeting someone's
high-expectations can be a struggle;
however, as people get older,
the value of the gift that they are given,
and what it is, is outweighed
by the magic of gesture of someone
doing something for someone else
and being a part of someone's thoughts.

A gift that is given is supposed to be
a token of someone's affection,
not a chore that someone felt forced to do...
a gift received from someone special to you
should be accepted and welcomed
as a memento of a relationship
worth remembering.

A gift may not always be something
that you can take with you -
but whatever we choose to give,
and whatever we are given,
is a gift of the present,
as well as a memory
that can bridge the gulf of time;
and, in my opinion, there is nothing on Earth
that could ever compare to the gift of giving.

Happy Thanksgiving!