A Gift of Time

This Christmas, I am reminded of a saying my Grandfather brought out around this time of year: “It’s not the gift that counts, but the wrapping!” This was quite appropriate for an older gentleman whose work-hardened hands and arthritic fingers seldom had to cope with flimsy paper and ribbons. Yet he could do an admirable job of decorating our modest Christmas gifts. Grandfather thought it was important to show the same care in wrapping a present as there was in selecting it. I still have that pocketknife I received the Christmas that I turned ten, although it only has one blade now. It came in a brown box wrapped in a gold foil paper with a red (my favourite colour) ribbon and bow.

I wonder what Grandfather would have thought about giving a gift card in an envelope decorated only by the store’s logo and a print of a holly leaf? Certainly, there are many reasons for giving a gift card instead of a gift. The person receiving the piece of plastic can exchange it for whatever they need, not some item that you think they might want or not have in their extensive collection of gifts from previous Christmases. It does away with the guessing of sizes, and for men, this can be a relationship saver – no woman wants to get an article of clothing that is too big for her! Besides, it shows that you have not been paying close enough attention to her latest weight-loss scheme, and she will be thinking just that as she stands in line at the return desk.

The big advantage, claimed by those who give the piece of plastic, is that it saves time. And it seems that time is at a premium, especially around this time of year. The stores are crowded with people who are searching for that perfect gift for that one person who is so hard to buy for, or trying to stay within a budget that will not give their ulcers a bad turn in January when the bills arrive in the mail. It is also a stressful time when you feel pressured to bow to the TV advertisements so little Johnny can have the latest couch-sitting video game. Even the search for the specific Barbie doll for your niece can be a frustrating expedition through the aisles crowded with little ones who are checking off items from their Santa list.

It seems we just do not have time to spend in buying a gift. People need more time, and that is one thing we do not have. We can better allocate what time we have, but we cannot buy more time. The malls may stay open longer hours so we can stop in at our convenience to buy that gift card, but will the person receiving this present know that you bought it 3:00 a.m. on your way to start the early shift? Will they say thanks for all the time you spent in selecting this gift for me – it means so much that you considered giving up some of your precious time just for me. And then ,to spend more time wrapping really says you care! That glued-on red bow was a nice touch on the envelope!

Time has become a precious commodity for many of us. Those extra hours at work can never be bought back, even if you do get some time off in lieu. The time you did not spend with your children can never be replaced – it is gone forever. The time you did not sit with an ailing friend will never come your way again. Wally Mart can stay open all day and night, but they have not extended the number of hours in a day, only the time you can spend in their place of business. Perhaps your children will always remember the night you went shopping for Christmas presents at Wally’s at 2:00 a.m., but I suspect that their fondest childhood memories will be telling their children how they still have that Fuss Bunny storybook they got for Christmas back in Ought Seven when they were three years old.

In these days of shrinking time, the best gift we can give is our time. Time spent with friends, family or working with others in a community cause is something you cannot buy over the checkout counter. Perhaps if Grandfather were alive today he would change his saying – “It’s not the gift that counts but the time spent buying and wrapping it.” This year, consider giving the gift of time. It is something only you can give. Nothing is more personal and nothing says you care more than giving your time. You might even try putting a ribbon on yourself before saying Merry Christmas to the ones you love.