On The Second Day of Christmas

Not two turtle doves which, coincidentally, Mary and Joseph brought as gifts to the temple in Jerusalem in thanksgiving for her firstborn baby, an event celebrated at the traditional feast of Candlemas, but presents such as we may have found under our Christmas trees and in our stockings over the last couple of days.

It's always lovely to give and to receive presents and I really dislike articles like one I came across before Christmas, where people are asked to talk about "their worst Christmas presents" which seem to me to encourage a very self-centred way of looking at gift-giving and gift-receiving. Of course some presents will be more welcome than others or more suitable for the recipient than others but that isn't the point. And sometimes the best presents, really are, not the wrapped ones - gifts of shared laughter, friendship, a helping hand or a kind word when we need it. The smile of a stranger or support of a colleague. The patience of family and friends when we are stressed or under pressure. Forgiveness for when we mess up. And, of course, the good news about those gifts is that, although they can be costly to give, they won't make a hole in your bank balance or leave you with a pile of debts in January.

May you be blessed in all you give and in all you receive this Christmas.