The Most Important Gifts –For Others
“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun, with finals done, they have gone away, HEY!” The immediate holiday gift for teenagers is that the grueling first semester is over, finals week has passed, and we now have two weeks of pure freedom to spend with families and friends.
Sleeping in as late as we want and waking up to the arrival of family members visiting are wonderful alternatives to the educational rat race we survived a couple of weeks ago. Some families get to travel away from their hometown while others plan gatherings in their communities. Spending time with family is definitely the most satisfying for all of us, especially when we test our baby-sitting skills with small cousins or listen to old stories from our grandparents.
Of course, Christians remember the reason for their holiday: the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Jewish people commemorate with an eight-nights long Festival of Lights. Muslims participate in the Islamic celebration Eid-al-Adha, celebrating Abraham’s willingness to obey God, which began on December 20th.
In the secular department, we have our favorite gifts, which include anything to do with an iPod: docks that play the music loudly, iPod covers, cords that hook up iPods to cars and play the music while driving, or an iTunes gift card. Other favorites are X-Box, Wii, lotions, soaps, and beauty products. We also love gifts that will assist us with our future, whether it is money for our savings, driver’s education classes, or books (which we shall put aside for now) that will guide us in taking the SAT and other exams.
We recognize that most of us indulge in way too many presents; however, some teens actually spend the holidays participating in giving gifts to those less fortunate: some deliver presents with Santa at various shelters while others raise money through community foundations in Morgan Hill and for national organizations such as Make a Wish. We even have the occasional do-it-yourself family donations which focus on homeless individuals: fully outfitted backpacks, courtesy of a Gilroy group, and holiday wrapped sets of warm socks.
But so much for Christmas past. How can we welcome the new year, for ourselves and for others on our planet Earth? Here’s a way to improve the world for all of us. Teens might consider donating $10 to Heifer International so Third World peoples can raise livestock to feed themselves. Ten bucks can buy a share of a sheep or a goat. Twenty dollars will buy an entire flock of chicks, which means eggs, and so good protein for hungry children.
Extended families can chip in and finance a pig purchase for $120. One pig produces 16 piglets a year and grows to 200 pounds in six months. Still shopping? Other presents are trees, bees, donkeys, camels, llamas, water buffalos, ducks and even geese.
Call toll free (800) 422-0755 to obtain the most important gift catalog in the world or visit www.catalog.heifer.org. Happy Holidays!