THE JOY IS IN THE GIVING
One Christmas a well-meaning family member gave the father a bottle of after-shave. Wanting to show his appreciation, he immediately opened the bottle and splashed some on. The smell was horrendous! Windows were opened, despite the cold, in hopes of finding fresh air. For the rest of the morning, no one wanted Dad near them, or even in the same room. Finally, they all demanded he go take a shower and never wear the after-shave again. Not long after that, the after-shave began showing up regularly – at birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmases, and any time gifts were given. The “giving of the after-shave” became a family ritual. It came in boxes big and small, light and heavy, ornately wrapped or very plain. And always it was received with joy and laughter. It wasn’t the gift itself that brought the joy, but the acts of giving and receiving, and the sharing of memories.
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