The Gift of the Magi
One of my favorite Christmas stories is “The Gift of the Magi” — a short story written by O. Henry about a hundred years ago. It is about a poor young couple who, with no money to buy one another gifts, each sells their one thing of value in order to buy a gift for the other. Unfortunately, it turns out their gifts are useless with their valuables gone. The real gift was not what they bought for one another, but what they were willing to give up for one another.
I think of this story when I think about this Christmas. We have been in tough economic times for a while now, and a lot of people are either reluctant to spend money, or have no money to spend. But for many folks, giving up Christmas is not a possibility.
If you need money for Christmas presents for the family, consider what valuables you might have to sell. For instance, you might be able to sell jewelry that you no longer wear in order to raise some money for Christmas presents — there are plenty of gold buyers and pawn shops that will give you cash for your jewelry. Electronics and certain valuable collectibles, such as antiques, also provide a way to raise money quickly.
There is something about giving up something for ourselves in order to do something nice for another person that makes us feel good — more human, in a way. And after all, this is the spirit of giving. What can you do for your loved ones this Christmas?
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