The Christmas Gift That Cannot Be Bought
My dearest children.
I wish I could buy you this special gift, one that would become your most treasured possession, but sadly it is not for sale.
This is a gift that would give you contentment, respect, and great success. One that would make you more attractive, a better leader, a better partner, and would help you be a better person all the way around.
This gift will become an heirloom, one that you can pass on to your children, one that would make your world a better world.
It is priceless, yet the richest person in the world cannot buy it.
I wish I can give you the gift of knowing your value, knowing that you are priceless, that you matter, that you were born for a purpose. I wish I can convince you that it does not matter how many possessions you have if you don’t possess the right character on the inside.
I wish I can magically inject you with optimism, contentment, character, integrity, honor, courage, noble behavior, kindness, care, and compassion. But I cannot magically do it.
I wish I can shield you from any harm and adversity. I cannot, but I cherish the reality that both me and your grandparents had our share or adversity, and yet we became stronger and came through it better on the other side of our struggles.
I wish I can magically do all that for you, but I cannot. I guess I’ll just have to do for you what my parents did for me. They lived their life modeling the behavior and became my role models. And over time, I realized how their precious gift helped me in every aspect of my life.
They were poor in material possessions but rich in character.
They were less fortunate than their friends but helped those even less fortunate than themselves.
They had broken dreams but learned to live with contentment.
They were wronged but forgave.
They were in the middle of a family quarrel but acted as the peace makers.
They were not college graduates but educated their family and friends in character and good deeds.
They endured horrible hardships but kept their faith in God.
They passed no material inheritance to their children but left them the great legacy of character.
My dear children, I will endeavor to do for you what my parents did for me. As you unwrap my gift during my lifetime, may it become the best Christmas gift I gave to you.
Love forever
Daddy Habeeb
By Habeeb Habeeb, Champaign, Illinois