It's a Gift

In this season of giving I try to increase what I do to help around the house. In addition to making the bed a couple times a week, placing my dishes in the dishwasher, and putting my clothes away after my wife, Rhonda, washes them, I now look for other ways to help – at least at Christmas time. I guess I should thank Miriam at the coffee shop for this.

Miriam, a pleasant woman a decade or so wiser than me, asked me a few weeks ago if I was ready for Christmas. I knew what she meant; at least I thought I did. She may have meant spiritually, emotionally, or my guess – physically.  I said I was, but then admitted that I really don’t have that much to do because my wife does most of the work preparing for the big day.

She suggested that I could volunteer. I thought she meant I should volunteer at a soup kitchen or some other charitable venture, so I told her that I would be ringing a bell with a few friends for the Salvation Army. 

“That’s nice,” Miriam said, “but I meant that you could volunteer to help your wife get ready for Christmas.”

“Yes, I suppose I could,” I said, surprised by the very idea of it.

So, motivated by my new mission, I began to look for ways to help. Normally, I clear the driveway and shovel the snow off the steps and sidewalk, but this year the warm temperatures have made that unnecessary, so I cleaned the garage instead. Rhonda never even noticed.

This year I carried several boxes of Christmas decorations upstairs from the basement after being asked only once. It’s not quite the same as volunteering – but it does have the same cooperative feel to it.  I did this in between periods of the Wild game.

I also try to keep up on the TV listings to make sure we have an opportunity to watch the Christmas shows. We have Charlie Brown, Rudolph and the other classics on DVD, VHS or 8mm but it still pays to see what else might be playing.  I also make sure to have Christmas music on in the background.  It’s those subtle touches that make the holiday special. It’s another way I help out around the house.

When Rhonda couldn’t find the barn her Grandpa had made for a nativity scene, I volunteered to find it without being asked. I found the miniature barn in our barn; it was near the one my brother-in-law and nephew had made to provide temporary shelter for the ceramic nativity scene my mother had made. My family has a long tradition of displaying the Holy Family at Christmas. I didn’t manage to find the manger however.

One night last week I peered over my newspaper and saw that Rhonda was addressing Christmas cards, so I offered to help. Considering my handwriting and wanting to make sure the addresses were legible, she suggested I help instead by buying stamps. So the next day I stood in line at the post office. There were half-a-dozen people ahead of me, and it took at least ten, maybe fifteen minutes to get my postage. Volunteering is hard work.

I do my share of the Christmas shopping too.  I have already purchased Rhonda’s gift, and have written checks for the two women in my office. I actually got my shopping done early this year. I’m not completely sure what gifts Rhonda has in mind for the kids – I’m sure I’ll find out though when they open them.

It has become obvious to me if it wasn’t for the unselfish nature of women, we wouldn’t have Christmas. Two thousand years ago a young woman named Mary gave birth to the King of Kings, giving us the greatest gift of all.