A Gift From My Son

The entire idea of gifts can become a ‘cliche’ if we’re not careful…but, as I’ve discovered the past while, gifts given from the heart are absolutely amazing!  My son is twenty-one now.  When he was in grade two, he stood like a brave boy, in front of the large parent community and sang out the lyrics to Teresa Jenning’s I Wish.  I sat there in the dark, weeping.  Our family had gone through a really difficult transition at the time and I couldn’t help but cry at the beautiful lyrics.  My boy was so handsome, almost radiant, under the theater lights and he came to me squealing and smelling like candy-cane after the concert.

It was on the way home that he asked me what I would like as a gift for Christmas.  I didn’t hesitate to say…”I would like that song for Christmas!  If only we could take care of the whole world and all the lonely and sad people!”  Well, tucked inside his macaroni jewelry box, this is what he gave me…the words to his song printed by his own hand.  This is a gift I will always treasure.  I love you, my son.

I Wish by Teresa Jennings