“Feeling gratitude
and not expressing it
is like wrapping a present
and not giving it.” 
William Arthur Ward

Our family celebration of Christmas dinner this year was one of the most memorable of my life. I’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint any one particular reason for this claim, as it wasn’t just one thing that made the evening so special. Having all three of our boys home was certainly nice. Tom’s and Steve’s wives have been extraordinary additions to our family. The grandkids brought an energy and excitement to the gathering which contributed significantly to the joyous and high-spirited celebration. There was laughter, lively conversation, amazing food, delectable desserts, and more happiness than I’ve experienced at a Christmas dinner in many years. Kathy and I could not have enjoyed the evening more.

I’ve mentioned in past blog posts that throughout my formative years, my mother made sure that I sent thank you notes to anyone who gave me gifts for my birthdays, First Communion, Confirmation, and graduations. I also sent cards of gratefulness to aunts and uncles who gave me gifts at Christmas time, especially to my Uncle Dan Healy, my Godfather. He never failed to stop by on Christmas Day with a card, which always included a five dollar bill. I have no recollection, however, of ever being required to write a thank you note to Santa Claus.

One might think that would have been the wake-up call, the big “HELLO!” to help me realize that, perhaps, Santa was a fictitious character. I guess I just wasn’t perceptive enough in my childhood. Of all people, one would think that Santa Claus would be deserving of a genuine, heartfelt note of gratitude.

When I saw the picture above on Google Images, I couldn’t help but smile. I cannot say with any degree of certainty whether the photo depicts Santa reading pre-Christmas letters from children or, perhaps, post-Christmas thank you notes from young ones who are grateful for the gifts they found under their Christmas tree. For tonight, I’ll go with the second option.

I devoted some time today to writing thank you notes. None were addressed to the North Pole. Why do I bother with thank you notes? Well,… I’m grateful — to those who took the time to get me a gift this holiday season, to Kathy for preparing a delicious prime rib dinner, and to family members who made last night such a special occasion. There was really nothing that I truly needed, but the thoughtfulness that went into the selection of the gifts I received is very much appreciated. 

As William Arthur Ward so clearly stated in the quote above, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

Why would we ever do this?