The Christmas letter....

 

Searching to find that perfect card or present, especially at Christmas time, can seem like an insurmountable task.  Yet sometimes, even the smallest of gestures or the tiniest outlay of money, can in fact turn out to be a priceless gift.

Many Christmases ago, after I had graduated college and was living in the Boston area, I found myself in numerous Hallmark stores in search of cards for each of my parents.  I had no problem finding the perfect "To Mom" card, but the one for my Dad seemed to elude me.  Day after day I looked, but none of them seemed to express what I felt at that time.  Finally, I gave up and decided to simply write him a letter.

The letter I composed was several pages long and spoke from my heart.  I told him about the love I felt for him, my pride in being his daughter and the abundance of gratitude I held for all he had done for me.  I cried as I wrote it and whenever I reread it.  (The Englishman and my daughters will tell you, "That's a sure sign it's a winner"  when I start gushing.)

My Dad quietly read the letter that Christmas morning and thanked me when he had finished.  I could tell by the look on his face that it had meant a lot to him.  It would be a long time before I realized just how much.

My Dad passed away six years later, in the month of December.  I had absolutely no doubts when he left us that day that there had been any words left unsaid.  Because of the letter, I was confident that my Dad knew about the deep love I felt for him and what we had shared in our time together.

Several years after that, my mother gave me back the letter I had written.  She told me that my Dad had kept it since that Christmas morning, all those years ago, in the top drawer of his dresser.  She said that he would take it out from time to time and reread it.  What had seemed like a simple gesture at the time turned out to be a most precious gift, not only for my Dad, but for me as well.