In early November, I celebrated my sixtieth birthday and it was by far the finest birthday I have ever celebrated. My daughters and granddaughters circled me with affection and gifts which reflected how well they knew me. My oldest daughter, Laura, gave me 60 flower bulbs to plant in my yard. My youngest daughter, Allyson, bought me 60 York mints which I love to eat frozen. My middle daughter, Kimberly, gave me a colorful, hand woven wall cloth from Central America, where she spent this past summer. There is something infinitely special about your daughters giving you things which resonate to noticed desires.

My granddaughters made me their own handmade cards which gushed with love and affection and manifested the unique relationship I have with each of them. Oh, yes, I did receive a DVD player (my family's gentle urging to help me keep up with the technological world!). And my one and only sister made sure that my front yard was scattered liberally with penguins and pink flamingos, which made me laugh out loud when I raised my bedroom shade on my birthday morning. Good friends sent wonderful cards and gave me gifts of the heart and by the end of my birthday day, I was overwhelmed with deep, deep gratitude.

Turning sixty actually marked a new beginning for me...a time for the conscious rising of my spirit. I realized on that day, more than ever, how vital it is for me, and for each of us, to nurture and celebrate our unique spirits. Walking in the woods that day, I understood in a deep way the power and potential of spirit. It is the only aspect of self that transcends the limitations of mind and body; and it is with the spirit rising in each of us individually that its full transformative impact becomes manifest in our relationships - with each other, with the natural environment, and ultimately, with the majesty of the living, spiritual cosmos, the source of everything we are and may become.

On this birthday I was given gifts for my spirit and I was wise enough and old enough to be fully aware and conscious of their nurturing beauty. So it seems that this holiday season will be particularly special as I understand, deep in my bones, the real gifts I have been given over the years.

Gifts come in many sizes and shapes, but the gifts of heart and spirit are both timeless and priceless. Their only cost is the time it takes to know in a deep way the receiver, her yearnings and passions of spirit. This Christmas/Hannukahj/Kwanza season, may we remember that the finest gifts are given from the heart and cannot be purchased at a mall.

My wish for our world is that we connect our hands and spirits, embracing our similarities and differences while celebrating the presence of all who are here, all who have passed over, and all the souls who are coming. May we cast a light of gratitude and joy that circles the earth, and hugs, each and every individual; and may our spirits rise as together we hold the spirit of peace in our hearts, while celebrating our connection to all that is.

Copyright © 2002 Elaine K. Williams. All rights reserved worldwide.