The Free and Priceless Christmas Gift

A Visit from Sanity at Christmas
by Ellen Huxtable

‘Tis the month before Christmas, and in small business land
Our thoughts turn to gifts – fresh, frozen and canned.
We want perfect presents for the people we know
But we all lack the bandwidth to search high and low.

Some gifts are easy, some gifts are nice
Some are good values; some not worth the price.
Is it something brand new? Are we willing to try it?
Will it pack, will it ship, will it ruin a diet?

We make out our gift lists with thought and with care
Glance at our full calendars and pull out our hair.

We dash and we dance and we party and mix in
And eventually the Christmas adrenaline kicks in
To the top of the list goes the trip to the mall
And we dash away, dash away, dash away, all!

As human sanity before chaos files
When it meets with an obstacle, blows up to the sky
So our tensions build up ’till our faces turn blue,
And we’re ready to scream at St. Nicholas, too.

But then in a twinkling I heard in my head
A wee tiny voice; we have nothing to dread.
The concept, how simple. Rejoice and be merry!
A present that’s easy to wrap, send and carry.

It doesn’t need gift cards, or ribbons, or bows,
It works if it blizzards, or sleets, rains or snows.
It fits every budget; it’s not “off the shelf,”
It’s a gift that is giving a part of yourself.

So sit down and gather the thoughts from your head
Don’t send just a gift, send testimonials instead.
Take a moment to write down a thought or a note
Give people a line they can post and can quote.

Give thanks and give praise, give vendors their due
It will make them feel good, and you’ll feel good, too!
So pause and give thanks on a long winter’s night.
Merry Christmas to all; may your New Year be bright!