A Christmas Gift

It’s five days before Christmas.  Are you ready? Baking done? Gifts bought and wrapped? It’s time to enjoy the Christmas lights and sing carols. That’s the part I like best and my family knows that I sing along with all the Christmas songs. I’m not commercial and try to remember the spirit of Christmas and often give donations to people’s favorite charities as their gift.

Our topic this month is a gift you, our readers, and you deserve one.  Robin made a few suggestions including a poem. I don’t write poetry but I thought I’d share on of my favorite Christmas poems.
 

AT CHRISTMAS

A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year;

He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season's here;

When he's thinking more of others than he's thought the months before,

And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for.

He is less a selfish creature than at any other time;

When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime.

When it's Christmas man is bigger and is better in his part;

He is keener for the service that is prompted by the heart.

All the petty thoughts and narrow seem to vanish for awhile

And the true reward he's seeking is the glory of a smile.

Then for others he is toiling and somehow it seems to me

That at Christmas he is almost what God wanted him to be.

If I had to paint a picture of a man I think I'd wait

Till he'd fought his selfish battles and had put aside his hate.

I’d not catch him at his labors when his thoughts are all of pelf,

On the long days and the dreary when he's striving for himself.

I'd not take him when he's sneering, when he's scornful or depressed,

But I'd look for him at Christmas when he's shining at his best.

Man is ever in a struggle and he's oft misunderstood;

There are days the worst that's in him is the master of the good,

But at Christmas kindness rules him and he puts himself aside

And his petty hates are vanquished and his heart is opened wide.

Oh, I don't know how to say it, but somehow it seems to me

              That at Christmas man is almost what God sent him here to be.

Edgar Albert Guest

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year and please check the posts by the other members of the great group.

Ginger Simpson http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Rachael Kosnski http://the-doodling-booktease.tumblr.com/

Margaret Fieland http://www.margaretfieland.com/blog1/

Helena Fairfax  http://helenafairfax.com/

Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/

Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/

A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/

Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.webs.com/

Kay Sisk http://kaysisk.blogspot.com

Skye Taylor  http://www.skye-writer.com/

Lynn Crain  http://www.awriterinvienna.blogspot.com

Connie Vines connievines.blogspot.com

Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/