One of the joys of the holiday season is receiving cards and messages from friends near and far.
These life updates tell of the many family ups and downs of our generation. Occasionally they include special words of insight.
The following is an annual poem created by husband Joe for his wife Zuki. It reflects on the traditional effort to find just the right Christmas present, which is the same theme in O Henry’s short story The Gift of the Magi.
The final stanza honors the most important gift we have, which is each other.
I Gave You a Walking Stick
by Joe McLaughlin
I gave you a walking stick
Like the one you used to own,
And you gave me two turtlenecks
Like the ones that I’ve outgrown.
And so our Christmas gifts this year
Were ones each knew the other needed
Not new additions to our store
But useful ones that we’ve repeated.
O’Henry’s lovers’ gifts were rare
But useless, which was their surprise.
Though they were young, they learned that year
How foolish love confounds the wise.
Our useful gifts are small but add
To what we can’t have too much of,
For years behind and years ahead,
Reminders of our life-long love.
Christmas Day, 2025