“What a beautiful story this is. Merry Christmas 1996. Love, Doris.”
That’s the inscription inside the cover of a tiny booklet that hangs on our Christmas tree. Doris was my friend long before she became my boss, and we shared many cups of tea. It was somewhere around 1996 when she persuaded me to join the agency where she worked tirelessly to advocate for and empower people with life challenges. “You’ll fall in love with the clients,” she said, when I expressed doubts about my ability to be useful in a setting for which I had minimal training. Doris was right, as she often was, and I learned a lot from her about people and myself. And about courage. Not long after that Christmas, Doris got a cancer diagnosis. She was determined to keep a positive attitude so we found things to laugh about. I began collecting blonde jokes for her, and kept it up after the blonde hair fell out then came back a soft light brown.
For anyone unfamiliar with the little Christmas tea story, it’s a simple account of doing something meaningful for a person who doesn’t have much but doesn’t ask for much.
One of my sons maintains that the most precious gift we can give is our time. I think he and Doris were on the same page, because she gave graciously of her time until her long battle was over.
In this busy season we hurry hither and yon, always short of time and the inclination to give others our full attention. Too often, we don’t even give ourselves time or attention, not to mention the other beautiful story that started us down this path.
I heard another Christmas story recently. Two shepherds were discussing the miracle in Bethlehem. One had gone to see what the angels were singing about, while the other stayed behind. “Where did you go?” one shepherd asked.
“I went to see the Hope of the World.”
“Well, what did he look like?”
“He looked like us.”
I hope that this holiday season you’ll share a cup of tea with someone who has more time than companionship. Pretty sure that the Hope of the World will join you, and most likely Doris will be there too.
Have a blessed Christmas.