There is no expectation of reciprocation. That’s not why I spend money on a gift. My thought when pulling out the loose twenty dollar bills to make my final purchase, the thought of what you’re going to get me isn’t a footnote on my mind. Let me be selfless. Sometimes a gift goes over budget; it’s not a spending war. This isn’t the proverbial measuring of our figurative phalli.
The act of giving me is enough. The act of me showing you that you’re important to me is enough. It’s the gift of giving that is rewarding for me.
Many of us have lost sight on act of giving. It’s become a convoluted competition. A holiday of comparison. Your joy is what matters to me.
And time with the people I’ve chosen to surround myself is all the gifts I’ll ever really need.
The annual Atheist Christmas special will resume next year. Maybe.
Chapin City Blues 