Ah, it’s the season for gifts, in case you haven’t noticed! But, so often, the question is what to give, right? You want to give something that’s, well, special.

Have you considered a gift that includes a bit of hurt with happiness?

Perhaps we should be reminded of O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” which brings to us the hurt and happiness of giving.

Charlie Brown, Sally and Lucy were thinking of what gift to give each other. What to give, would it be appropriate, and on and on? As they each thought about giving to each other, the Spirit of Christmas showed them the way.

Charlie Brown wanted to give his sister, Sally, a special gift. He knew Sally loved her hair but lacked a nice comb with which to properly prepare her hair. As he sat thinking, he saw his old baseball glove sitting and staring at him from across the room. He’d had that glove for a long time, it needed refreshing, but maybe, just maybe, he could sell the glove and use the money to buy Sally a beautiful new comb!

Combs were expensive to him but the glove should bring him enough money to do something special for Sally. Would it hurt? Yes! But, it would make Sally so very happy! He walked to the glove store and sold his piece of baseball. And, then, went to the hair salon and bought a gorgeous comb.

His heart grew 10 sizes.

Sally wanted to give Lucy a gift. Yes, she could be a pain in everyone’s back side at times but, giving a nice gift would be the right thing to do. Hmmm…what to give her? Sally remembered how Lucy loved her aluminum Christmas tree but had very few ornaments to place upon it. She ran her hands through her hair and the Spirit of the time ran through her.

What if … she had her hair cut off and then used the money to buy some craft paper with which to make paper angels, stars and reindeer for Lucy’s tree? Would it hurt? Yes! But, it would make Lucy so happy to be able to decorate her tree.

Sally went to the hair salon and had her hair cut very short. She then went to the paper store and bought gorgeous craft paper. At home and sitting on the floor, she made many beautiful paper ornaments of angels, stars and reindeer — Sally knew Lucy would love them and she smiled.

Her heart grew 10 sizes.

Lucy was pondering about what she could give that blockhead, Charlie Brown, for Christmas. Oops, maybe this wasn’t the time of the year to call him that name but, what to give him? She had been kind of hard on good old Charlie Brown this past year and wanted to, kind of, make amends with a nice present for him. She thought about the last baseball game of the season and how Charlie Brown’s glove looked like it could use some oiling.

Baseball glove oil costs money and how could she get some dough to buy that oil? Her eyes cast around the room and fell upon the lonely looking aluminum Christmas tree. It never had good ornaments and maybe, just maybe, she could sell it this year and use the money to buy a jar of oil for blockhead’s glove! Would it hurt? Yes! But, it would make Charlie Brown so happy to oil his old friend baseball glove.

She took the tree to the Christmas outlet store and sold it. Then, with a little smile, she walked to the athletic store and bought a jar of very good baseball glove oil.

Her heart grew 10 sizes.

When the three of them gathered the next day to exchange presents, there were smiles all around. Charlie Brown presented his comb gift to Sally. Sally presented her crafted paper ornaments to Lucy and Lucy presented the jar of baseball oil to Charlie Brown.

They all just sat there, speechless but realizing what had been personally sacrificed for another.

The three friends sat is silence for awhile and let their emotions grow within them. They all realized what each had done to gift another and their sense of family and friendship grew ten times that day.

Looking at each other, they joined hands and began to sing: “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”

Was what they did for each other a reflection of “The Gift of the Magi?” I’ll let you draw your own conclusions and, dear reader, always remember there’s a bit of Charlie Brown in each of us.

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!