The Gift.

Every Christmas, our custom is to give and receive gifts. They are an expression of love and generosity, and can be mundane or meaningful. They can be magical or ordinary. Our desires change over a lifetime. What will you give this Christmas, and what will you receive?

As the years passed,
his desires changed.
In his youth,
he wanted transportation,
a Schwinn bicycle
that gave him a way to escape
his mundane life.
He was able to navigate the neighborhood
and be free,
as long as he was home before dark.
As he aged, he wanted gifts of music,
which came on tape,
and required a reel to reel tape recorder.
The music was his vehicle
to new worlds,
captured by radio,
recorded on thin plastic tapes.
They were his highway to heaven.
When he grew older,
he wanted freedom
to go anywhere,
and his favorite gifts
had four wheels,
and big engines,
and brought him to ball games
and dates.
They were big enough to take him
places that lasted,
for months at a time.
Then, in the blink of an eye,
he grew old.
His favorite gift took human form.
She was a relentlessly happy,
smiling,
joyous
woman,
who made him realize
that he didn’t want
to go anywhere,
anymore.