Best gift I've ever received
To many, the Christmas holidays are all about giving and receiving gifts. Mall crowds and heavy traffic smother cities in December due to countless people looking to cross people off their Christmas lists. The rush of the holidays, bonuses, shopping, parties and hectic schedules can sometimes be a little overwhelming, so much so that it becomes easy to lose sight of what the Christmas season is really about.
Showing appreciation to people who are important to you and being grateful for your blessings should be the essence behind gift-giving - lessons that often get overlooked due to the materialism that the holidays also bring.
Spending valuable time with family, giving thanks, celebrating a certain Someone's birthday (it ain't Santa), and making fresh happy memories with the people you love to usher in a new year is really what Christmas is all about.
Giving gifts and receiving cool stuff is always great, but really its the intangible things that truly matter.
We hope you are all surrounded by the people you love this Christmas season and may you all have more blessings in the coming year. Merry Christmas from us over here at Livph!
In tune with the spirit of giving, we ask some friends the question, "what is the best gift you have ever received?"
RS, 32
"So when I was asked what the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten was, all these awesome gifts from the past started popping up in my head. I wanted to write about everything, from receiving a T.V from Santa, and even getting a whole music studio setup from my parents. All these gifts wanted to be a part of this blog but there can only be one. This gift is the story that we all grew up hearing, yes, we all love the reindeers, the snowman, and Santa but this story is the main reason why we celebrate this season. This gift is from Our Father in heaven. Imagine a gift from God, the One who created the universe sending His only Son so He can save me. As a human being I am evil, I am wicked, I am sinful and I am destined to go to hell. But God above loves me so much that He sent His only son so I can be saved. This gift is incomparable, and it is a gift that i treasure dearly."
Jackie, 29
"The best gift I've ever received was my engagement ring from my now-husband. He proposed to me while we were surfing during our 7th year together.
The ring is white gold which is my favorite. It's emerald cut and the stone used for the ring was from his late grandmother. He designed it on his own and to me it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen."
Carmen, 73
"Best gift ever received: To myself as a reward for my retirement in 2010 - A trip to the Holy Land. It was spiritually uplifting to see the sights and places where Jesus lived here on Earth. I'm thankful every day for all the blessings that come my way."
Miguel, 42
"The best gift I ever received (whether it be my birthday, Christmas, or any other special occasion) arrived last November 18, 2016. Crisela and I became parents to a beautiful and good baby girl--Selina.
It has been 8 years since we got married and basically "lived life" (enjoying, traveling, working, studying abroad, and moving countries), we finally have our first child.
Selina not only brings us overflowing happiness, but most importantly teaches/refreshes us with many important lessons in life like maturity, patience, and in theme with the Christmas season--giving."
Lyn,32
"One of the best gifts I’ve ever received is a new bike from my husband, Miguel. He bought me one because we live and work in BGC, and he thought having a bike would be a fun way for us to get around. I’m really grateful he thought of it because it led to so many fun adventures. When there was an art festival in BGC, we did our own bike tour and visited each new mural. Whenever it’s a holiday and there aren’t many cars, we would race each other in the hilly parts. Biking together cultivated our sense of wonder and really strengthened our bond as a couple."
Pey, 30
"Accepting God in my life as my Lord and saviour is the best gift I have ever had. I never thought I would be in this position in my life right now. He has brought me so much love and blessings from the moment I said yes to receiving him. I have never been happier and more at peace."
Tin, 32
"Every Christmas season I look forward to seeing my family and relatives here and from abroad during our reunions. It may sound cliché but the best gift that I’ve received is the gift of family. It made more sense when we had to go through losing our loved ones from both sides of our family. The past year was so difficult celebrating without them but this year became the hardest when we lost again two of our dearest loved ones. Just thinking of how we would celebrate is something that I can’t imagine and what’s left are just beautiful memories that we had every Christmas. I’ve realized that more than the material things that I wish to have I should always hold on to what matters most and that is my family. It will never be the same without the people we love but we can always make new memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. At the end of the day Christmas is all about the holy family, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the hope that in difficult times a gift of new beginnings and bountiful blessings will unfold."