In a world rife with discord, finding joy can be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Yet, even in the direst of circumstances, when Christmas draws near, joy becomes almost infectious.
It's a joy to hear someone humming "Deck the Halls," a traditional carol, or listen to the sound of bells jingling at the charity stand outside of stores. And who doesn't love the Christmas films of yesteryear?
Giving gifts becomes a joy for the giver and a joy for the receiver.
Some remember a single incident at Christmas as one of the most memorable gifts of joy.
The gift of joy for one mother is a gift that will never be forgotten, long after the child has grown.
At that time, the mother was struggling to keep her family together under the most dire financial circumstances.
She hid her tears and despair under the cloak of motherly dedication to her children. She told herself not to focus on her situation and instead, baked Christmas cookies, made holiday decorations from scraps around the house and planned the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals as she always had. Still, sadness is hard to crush and mustering enough Christmas spirit to move from a place of darkness to a place of light takes every ounce of willpower to accomplish. Or, a gift from a loving child.
One afternoon, while the mother was busy in the kitchen baking another batch of cookies, her youngest child arrived home from school. Just in time for some milk and freshly baked cookies, she thought.
"Mom, Mom...look what I made in school for you!" the child shouted, with zeal and exuberance.
"What is it dear?" she asked.
The child handed her a rolled manila drawing tied in a red foil bow.
There, in a single word, was the gift of joy. The child had framed a sheet of manila paper in blue, red, green and gold foil strips. In the middle of the drawing was a single word, "Joy."
When tears rolled down the Mom's cheeks, the child thought it was because she didn't like the gift. She bent down to kiss the child on the head and said,
"Dear little one, you have given me a gift I will treasure for ever. These are not tears of disappointment. These are tears of happiness."
The mother took the child's drawing and posted it where she would be reminded every day of the priceless gift of "Joy."
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