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| Billie Silvey |
| Gifts |
| At this highly commercialized time of the year, it’s interesting to think back over gifts we’ve received that have had special significance. Some are gifts of lasting value. The first Christmas gift I recall receiving was a copy of the Big Golden Encyclopedia. It was given to me by a favorite cousin, but unfortunately, I was too immature to appreciate it at the time. She gave my sister a toy, and I was jealous almost to the point of tears. But long after the toy had broken, the encyclopedia was a treasured possession. I spent hours poring over the colorful pictures and simple descriptions of continents and animals and houses and transportation from all over the world. And the book held up well enough that my children were able to look through it when they were young. Some show an unexpected awareness. When I graduated from high school, another cousin gave me a paperback thesaurus. He was in college, and I’d already shown some interest in writing. I was flattered that he’d taken my aspirations seriously and given me one of the first tools of my trade. Some involve thoughtful coordination. For our twenty-fifth anniversary, our children got us tickets to Les Miserables and reserved a room in a hotel. When friends asked what they could get, the kids suggested dinner at a restaurant near the theater. It was an unforgettable night. Some are meant to be shared. When I turned fifty, our daughter hosted a party of friends from three decades and several contexts of my life. One brought flowers for the table, another a cake, and yet another made a video of the event. Because we were mixing people who didn’t know each other, we played a “get acquainted” game in which we listed an unusual detail about each guest. People who were special to me got to know each other as they matched the person with an interest or experience. Some are unexpected. I was touched when an elder gave me a nice pen one Christmas when I was working for the church. He assumed I’d lose it, but I still use it almost daily. Some are extravagant. The most extravagant gift I ever received was when our daughter gave my husband and me gifts of foreign travel. First, she gave me a trip to England, and Frank came, too. Later, she sent him to Italy, and I tagged along. These trips were my only experiences in foreign countries, except for crossing the border into Juarez and Tijuana. Some are combinations. Our son saw to it that the whole family was able to see all three movies of the Lord of the Rings series in a nice theater, making it a special shared experience the whole family enjoyed. Some are gifts of talents. My husband designed, improves and maintains one of the best gifts I’ve ever received--this website. He’s put untold hours into making it a source of pleasure for me, and I hope for those who read it. Gifts don’t have to be expensive, but most of those we remember show the thought and effort that went into making them just right for us. Other articles in this December website include Giving in America, The Greatest Gift, and Giving Yourself, the story of Elizabeth Smith and her work on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. To view our family's Christmas letter to you, click here. I’d love to hear from you in response to the website. I hope you’ll suggest topics that you’re interested in and let me know if the site is helpful to you. This is my website, but I believe in sharing. You can reach me at b.silvey@sbcglobal.net. |
| December 2005 |
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| An eclectic website about Women, Christianity, History and the Arts --and anything else that comes to mind. |
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