I love birthdays…and holidays…and random Tuesdays…and any day that I can give gifts to people whom I love.  The point of giving is not to experience personal blessings…but it’s an ancillary benefit that accompanies unselfish motivations.  And when that person you love smiles, laughs, cries, or all of the above, it makes for a truly delicious moment usually accompanied by a heartfelt embrace.  The greater gift is the moment itself.

Now imagine pouring yourself into several projects, exercising painstaking care to craft the most thoughtful and poignant gifts imaginable.  And then, after wrapping them, mailing the packages out to a bunch of random addresses as well as a few acquaintances.  Later, you discover the personal acquaintances never even opened the box.  And you have no idea what became of the other gifts.

Writing books and talking about stuff just isn’t the same as seeing patients.  Don’t try to convince me otherwise.  But do me a favor and at least open the box…it might actually serve as a nice respite from merely checking them off😊