Who's Birthday is it?

Why are we stressed?
Why are we spending money we don't have?
Scheduling activities we don't have time for?
Worrying whether Aunt Lucy will like what we're giving her...
Sending Christmas cards to people who don't even know us...
Racing  for parking spaces at the mall...
Making sarcastic comments to other drivers from the safety of our cars...
Skimping on dinner because we're too busy...
Feeling guilty when we spend money on ourselves instead of a gift for our child...
Allowing the TV ads to influence our buying...to tell us we can visit stores all night long....

Who's Birthday is it?
Do we really know?

Years ago, I walked with my dad through the woods, hunting for running cedar...
We found some...not much, but some....
We found holly, loaded with bright red berries....filled the back seat of the car.
I brought it to my second grade class the last week of school...

Henry walked up to me with a gift. A box wrapped in wedding shower paper...a gift tag with my name, laboriously written: to miss hinman.

Why, thank you, Henry!!  Shall I open it now?
Big smile on Henry's face.... dirty little hands holding his love gift to me....
Let me guess...what is in it, Henry?  I know I will love it!!
Big toothless smile...it's holly...it's for you!
There in the box lay holly leaves, long dried out berries...it's HOLLY!!

My holly stayed in the back seat of the car...Mom was delighted...she loved holly, too!