Photo courtesy of Annie Spratt/Unsplash
We’re all familiar with the story line: Long ago in a faraway kingdom, a baby was born in the palace. Everyone was so excited! But no one was more overjoyed than the twelve fairy godmothers because they were entrusted with each bestowing upon the royal child a special gift. What wondrous gift would each give?
As a little girl, Charlene Costanzo wished that she too had fairy godmothers who would shower her with those royal gifts. After all, it wasn’t quite fair that they were reserved just for princes and princesses. The thought stayed with her for many years.
Fast forward to the time when Charlene’s own daughters were on the cusp of adulthood. She considered how she might send forth her girls into the world with direction, stability, and an internal security to call upon.
So she wrote a book called The Twelve Gifts of Birth. It’s for children of all ages, even grown-up children, and even for those of us whose parents have passed on. And in the “message from the author” on the inside jacket, Charlene says her book is especially for the abused and neglected children of the world.
The book is beautifully written and illustrated. Each gift (such as joy, strength, talent) is named, and then the following page provides a sentence or two that feels almost like a blessing statement regarding the gift.
I’m thinking about birthdays today because we just celebrated my brother-in-law Bill’s 80th birthday. About twenty of us gathered to honor him and remind him how glad we are that he is a part of our individual and collective lives. You know, I wish I had remembered the Twelve Gifts book so that I could have read it aloud to him.
I don’t like it when people want to forget their birthdays. No big deal. It’s just another day.
You were born! What’s not to celebrate about that fact once a year?!
So if I were a fairy godmother, what one gift would I choose to bless you with today? There’s an amazing array from which to choose! But what floats before me right now is this: appreciation.
Because an appreciation of all the other gifts you’ve been blessed with will increase your original joy. For example, an appreciation of how your food tastes (instead of eating quickly while doing something else) makes your meal even more delicious.
An appreciation of music, really listening to the deep resonance of a cello’s notes or being fully aware of the musicality of an a capella group, can make the music come alive for you.
You get it. The ability to purposely pay attention to our lives with a sense of appreciation for the people and events who show up in them would be an amazing gift. So consider it done. The gift is yours. You’re welcome.
To my readers: What one gift would you impart to us and why?
