“Christmas comes but once a year,
And when it comes, it brings good cheer,
So, in the midst of all your joy,
Please don’t forget the paperboy”
That’s the little note I’d put in the letterbox of each house I’d deliver the morning paper to in the lead-up to Christmas. I delivered those papers faithfully from the age of 12 to 18 years old, 7 mornings a week.
After dropping off the note with the morning newspaper, from that time on I’d hold hope for every letterbox that there was something in there. Many houses gave something, many houses didn’t. A card with a coin or two, sometimes even a five or ten dollar note! WOW! Chocolates…yum! So, after every paper round for the remainder of the year, I’d head back home with my small booty in hand, chuffed and ecstatic that it was Christmas time!
On reflection, whatever they gave me was a gift, irrespective of the size. And in that gift was a message of goodwill, enough in itself.
Turning to the present, many people are struggling around us, and we can give them something. Often that something has little relationship to the monetary value. Your time, an ear to listen, a smile, a flower – it all counts.
I never refined this as a child growing up, but I know it to be true as an adult. Somewhere along the line, I stumbled across the international speaker and something of a spiritualist, Deepak Chopra, who amply summed up my inclinations in his Law of Giving and Receiving. I present that now – all credit to Deepak Chopra:
The Law of Giving & Receiving
The universe operates through dynamic exchange . . . giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.
I will put the Law of Giving and Receiving into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:
Wherever I go, and whomever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth, and affluence in my life and in the lives of others.
Today I will gratefully receive all the gifts that life has to offer me. I will receive the gifts of nature: sunlight, the sound of birds singing, spring showers, or the first snow of winter. I will also be open to receiving from others, whether it be in the form of a material gift, money, a compliment, or a prayer.
I will make a commitment to keep wealth circulating in my life by giving and receiving life’s most precious gifts: the gifts of caring, affection, appreciation, and love. Each time I meet someone, I will silently wish them happiness, joy, and laughter.
On that note, I thank the Atticus community for all your kind support during 2022. We are who we are because of it. I wish you and your families a most Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2023.
Finally…Don’t forget the paperboy/person… if you still have one!
