A Simple Gift

I'm sitting in my mom's living room watching the snow gently fall, giving the great maple tree a layer of white dust. It's the kind of scene you see in pictures and Christmas cards. In the fore-ground there is the great snowy tree, and in the back-ground snow-covered rooftops, street lamps,and parked cars just waiting. Everything is still. No one wants to move, to be out in this cold beauty. I love everything about it. The way the snow falls like magic from the heavens, the way it makes me feel like snuggling up with a blanket... in all it's simplicity it reminds me of my creator. I am in awe. I have no words to describe the way I feel when I see a mountain covered in fresh snow with the sun glistening amongst the tree-tops. It's overwhelming, powerful, majestic to live where we live to see what we see.
My parents' house is surrounded by trees; my dad often calls it a tree house. And it feels that way from the inside because out every window there are leaves and branches..well now most of the leaves have fallen, only a few are hanging on for dear life. The green of summer has been replaced by winter's white. Both bring comfort in different ways, but for many the white represents peace and a season of coziness.
This house has always brought me comfort no matter the season. My family moved into it when I was nine, and I envision my parents growing old here. It will always be the place I come back to. Even when no one is here, I can feel their presence. I look around and see a hundred memories. I feel my mother's love in all the little things she has left there... things she's placed on the walls, put out on the coffee table. I know, I'm a little overly sentimental, but I try to see that as a strength. I also know that not everyone has a place like this where years of memories will always be preserved, or even a place where loved ones gather just to be.
I had an experience last week that just broke my heart. I saw the reality of the times we are living in at a food bank. The room was packed, you couldn't move. Everyone is in need, and it's not getting any better. I don't know how or when things will change, but I do know every little bit helps, and we are all in this together. Give what you have, and don't be afraid to accept help from others either. Our communities need love now more than ever... isn't that all anyone is looking for? You, me... we all want to be accepted for who we are right now. We want to be loved despite our short comings and defects whether we have anything to give or we are broken and at the end of our road. People are people.
Now as I see the snow silently falling out my parent's front window I am more grateful than I have ever been. I have a place, I am loved. I am filled again so that maybe I can go out and share this gift with others. I don't have money, but I have eyes, and ears, and a heart: to see, hear, and love someone. What do you have to give?