Just hear those sleigh bells ringaling . . .

Surely I’m not the only one to realize that here we are in the middle of December and I’ve done nothing, that’s nuh-thing with a capital “NUH.”  The sweet part about this for me is that this doesn’t really bother me.  I consider it to be one of those charming idiosyncrasies about myself that I just embrace.  For some reason, holidays sneak up on me…birthdays, valentine’s day, anniversaries.  You get the picture.

I think that part of this is due to my thinking that the real gifts are the wonderful attributes and qualities that ooze out of the people with whom I share my life.  AND, they’re all the ways that I try to share myself with others in an authentic, transparent way…letting my own lovely qualities shimmer.

It might sound hokey, but it’s true.

From where I play, there are lovely qualities that shine in each one of us.  Some of those treasures might just need a little polishing so we can bring them out for company.  I’m polishing a couple right now myself, patience and persistence.  I never knew polishing virtues could be so much fun.

Last week, a woman shared with me that for the first time, she really got what a tremendous gift she could give her husband by really listening deeply to him, without trying to fix him, without rushing to some new task, without ideas about what he’s REALLY saying…just listening.

So what are the real gifts that you want to give those folks with whom you share your life?