Simple Gifts

Not all gifts cost money. Sometimes the most meaningful, lasting gifts are a note, a phone call or even an email. My favorite is the hand-written note, because in addition to conveying a sentiment, the handwriting itself makes a personal connection with the writer.  I have kept many of the notes written to me by my parents during my life, and now that they are gone, I love to take them out on occasion and re-read them, and look at their handwriting, which was unique and individual to each of them.

I recently read an article about Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, the "hero" pilot who safely landed a plane in the Hudson River in New York.  In the article, his wife mentioned the mountain of mail they have received from around the world, and how they are taking the time to read each one as a family. One letter came from overseas, and was simply addressed to "Hero Pilot" with a note to the postmaster that the address was unknown. The letter made it to the Sullenbergers.  There were so many resulting gifts in this one simple letter: 1) Someone overseas took the time to write a letter of thanks and hope to the Sullenbergers, which truly inspired them;  2) Someone at the USPS took the time to forward the address-less letter on to the Sullenbergers; 3) The Sullenbergers shared this story with the reporter as an example of the kindness of strangers.

We are headed into a season where it is easy to become bombarded by commercialism and the pressure to spend money on gifts. Take the time to handwrite a gift card to even just one person on your gift list, or send a note to someone in your life and tell them how much they mean to you. Take the time to say a warm thank you to someone such as the school custodian or the crossing guard, who may not hear it often enough. The best gifts come from the heart.