The Gift of Giving

Completely on her own, Ava decided to buy gifts for the family at the dollar store. She counted up her money and declared she had enough to buy 10 gifts. Cody took her shopping last night and somehow I thought her plan was to buy gifts for only her brothers, or maybe Cody and I also. But no, she bought a gift for every family member that will be present on Christmas day at her grandparents' house. No wonder she counted up to see if she could buy 10 gifts, because that was the amount she needed to buy. And she chose gifts so thoughtfully. They were gone to the store for quite some time. I can't say what all the gifts are here because it might spoil some surprises...but for example, she bought her baby niece a soft bath time book, and for her grandad she selected sharpies.

Today she holed herself up in her room for about an hour with wrapping supplies and carefully wrapped and labeled each gift. Her face was beaming with joy as she carried the wrapped gifts out to the tree. I have rarely seen her so happy or excited as she is about giving these presents. To think that she emptied the contents of her piggy bank to buy things for the people she loves- not grudgingly, but with pure joy, makes my heart happy. I have a feeling Santa might even stick a $10 bill in her stocking to replenish her accounts...

I was thankful for the reminder that a gift should always be...a gift. Not given out of obligation, or with strings attached, or for any other reason than to show love for the recipient. Ava knows a little something about the gift of giving.