As many of us are finishing up our holiday shopping, something I’m not a huge fan of, I wanted to share with you about a gift I never asked for and did not want.

Some people have a talent for choosing the perfect gift. Sometimes I feel I get it right but most of the time I second guess myself. What do you buy or make for those you love to let them know how much they mean to you? Choosing the right gift requires intimate knowledge and understanding of the receiver. It’s about paying attention and really listening, not just about what they want but hearing the things they will not ask for.

Over the years I have received gifts that were truly perfect for me. When someone knows you so well they can get a gift you didn’t even know you wanted whether it is a book you fall in love with, something made by hand that you’ll cherish forever, a beautiful standing mirror you’d never imagined, or your very first pair of cowgirl boots. These are just a few of the gifts that standout in my memory.

A few times I’ve received gifts with no clue of who or what they were thinking. I had no idea of what to say but thank you and smile. Sometimes, that gift would turn out to be the thing I never knew I needed, while other times it might end up at the bottom of the closet lost in the clutter.

I’m sure some of my gifts have missed the mark. This year I received an early holiday gift that I’d really like to send back, but there is no refund or exchange on cancer. I did not want it, but what I have received after learning I might have cancer has been a blessing. I have had a secondary gift that is so much better, phone calls and messages from old friends, offers to help, promises to pray, and words of cheer, and new friends, colleagues and even acquaintances saying prayers and offering encouragement. Cancer wasn’t a gift I would have chosen for myself but the love and friendship I’ve received because of it is the perfect gift no matter the season.

As you wrap those last minute gifts remember the BEST gift we can give is LOVE! Thank you all for the love you’ve given me.

Photo taken at The Venue during Christmas in Aurora.