This Christmas give from your heart, but make sure it is on the list.

The act of giving at Christmas is as old as the holiday itself. Giving is a tangible display of our appreciation and love. This can be dangerous if the receiver does not take it as so. Too often, gifts are “weighted”, simply meaning that the impact of the gift is thought to be in direct reflection to the giver’s feelings of that person. In fact, the receiver should treat the gift as a surprise, a bonus, or a kind thought as it was not required to begin with.

Have you ever wondered about the origins of the “Christmas list”? As far back as I can remember my sister and I would make Christmas lists. While this was a fun process and it made for little, if any, disappointment, looking back it seems like an accountant’s dream. Order request, inventory, acknowledgement, next. I always find it exciding to think of a gift I feel someone would really like, and then watch their expression as they open it. In full disclosure, you need to be prepared for a good as well as a bad reaction if you take this approach. I have hit a few homeruns, had a few singles, and struck out badly, but overall good results.

If the spirit of Christmas is to give rather than receive, why do we ask people what they want? Do you think the wisemen asked Mary and Joseph where they were registered, or what baby Jesus had on his list? No, they came with gifts they thought would be good for a king. Did baby Jesus have any need for gold? No. It was the thought that counted.

So this year be adventurous, put some thought into your giving, but always remember to wrap the gift receipt!