Well, another Christmas Eve has passed , and in the tradition of all the years past in my life, we spent it with my family; sadly, for the first time in my life, my mother and father couldn't make the trip down to be with us due to inclement weather and a balky car. It made for a different experience, but nevertheless a happy one.

With the current economic conditions there were far less presents than in times past, but there was at least SOMETHING for everyone present; maybe not large and certainly not expensive (in all but two cases)but it certainly led credence to the truth that it is the thought that matters most, not the cost.

For myself, I received the THE finest present that I have ever had. As much as I love my eldest daughter,our differing attitudes toward politics and the Military has always been a source of contention between us. We just honestly differ greatly on our basic outlooks on life, she being a true "Progressive" type and I being a staunch believer in individualism and the smallest government possible.

Bearing that in mind, when I saw the following in the card she gave to Beth and I; I was truly moved and so damned proud of the fine woman my daughter has become.

This is what the enclosure in the Christmas card said:

Dear Dad and Beth,

Although we're all struggling in tough economic times,we realize how amazingly blessed we are to have everything we need and much of what we want. In this spirit, we've decided this year to fore go buying tangible presents and instead share our blessings by donating to causes that represent the interests and passions of each family. With your dedicated support of the United States Military in mind, we've made a donation in your honor to the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that supports soldiers seriously injured in the service of their country. We love you both very much and wish you a very Merry Christmas and healthy and prosperous New Year !

Love,
Erin & Joanna

While neither my daughter nor my Ex are anti-military, they do possess the Progressive mindset and wouldn't normally consider contributing to such an organization, so the fact that they did so because of MY passions for such a group means that they truly gave real thought to what I like even in the face of their own inclinations, and isn't that truly what a REAL Christmas gift is all about?
Consideration of the other and not the Self; I am truly Blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

I am going to frame that insert and display it prominently in my office to remind myself that, while we may differ in outlook, my daughter and I can agree to disagree on some things and still get along well with each other.

I hope everyone of you had as good a Christmas Eve as Beth and I did and we both wish all of you the very best wishes in the coming New Year.

Merry Christmas!

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 12:09 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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