Editor's Note A gift that leaves us speechless By Darcy L. Fargo

December 11, 2019

For a while, we weren’t sure if my son, Jake, who is on the autism spectrum, would ever talk. Now, we’re not sure if he’ll ever be quiet.

So, it made my day, possibly my year, when he opened his early Christmas present, tickets to see our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers play the Buffalo Bills, and was rendered speechless.

Jake inherited what I refer to as “the collector gene” from my husband. Since I live with two collectors, my house is full of stuff. So, when it comes to holidays and birthdays, we’ve adopted the practice of giving what I call “experience gifts” as often as possible.

When people ask what to get Jake for Christmas or birthdays, I typically respond, “the last thing we need is more stuff, but we can’t have too many memories or good times.”

We’ve received and gifted movie theater gift cards, theater tickets, sporting event tickets, theme park passes and other similar items. In addition to providing us with a multitude of fun experiences, this practice gives us time together.

Since my husband dislikes both football and cities, he’s not joining us for this trip to Pittsburgh. Jake and I will have the eight-hour car ride there and back to talk football, sing loudly and badly with the car radio, and just enjoy spending time with each other, and that’s before we even consider the time we’ll get to spend together bashing around Pittsburgh before the Sunday evening game.

Our experience gifts aren’t just gifts of fun, they’re gifts of ourselves – our time, our attention, our laughter and our joy.

This season, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, we’re celebrating the ultimate gift of self. We’re celebrating that our Savior became man and eventually gave His life to give us salvation.

As we get caught up in the gift buying, cookie making and party attending, I pray we remember to give of ourselves. I pray we give gifts of time, both to our loved ones and those in need. And I pray we remember that we’re celebrating the ultimate gift.

And I pray it leaves us speechless.