At our monthly meeting of our volunteer chaplains I was leading the team building portion of the meeting.  I asked everyone to answer the same question, “What was the most meaningful gift you received this Christmas and why was it meaningful?”

Our answered varied based on our situations.  But the common denominator between all the responses was that the love and affection the giver had for the recipient was clear to all of us as the answers were shared.  Gifts do much more than stimulate the economy; they show that we are enough about the recipient to get them something we know they will truly enjoy.  This does not always mean the gift has to be expensive.  It does require action of the heart as we select the gift with the recipient in mind.

In the hospital I speak with patients who often say the gift they want most no matter the time of year is healing of the condition that brought them to us in the first place.  Sometimes we are able to provide healing.  In other instances where all we can offer in management of the illness, patients are still grateful for the tools we use to offer them comfort.  I am convinced that healing and comfort are two of the most important gifts the health care profession offers to our patients.