Gift of the Magi

Christmas is a time for giving gifts.  Right now, I'm stressed because I have several gifts that I need to buy, including another one for my wife.  (I won't say what I'm getting her on the off-chance that she happens to visit this blog before Christmas.)  My problem is that I'm not sure when I'm going to have a chance to go shopping!  (It's too late to order these gifts online or they weren't available online.)

Last week, we took our Young Men on a Christmas activity to see the Christmas lights in one of the neighborhoods here in Orange County.  It was a bit of a trek to get there, so we had some good quality travel time in the car.

The Young Men from the SC Third Ward Enjoy Candy Cane Lane

On the way back, one of my awesome youths decided to start having people in the car answer questions about Christmas topics.  Somehow, I found myself relating the story: "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry to the "captive" occupants of the car.

Della and Jim Young -- our two protagonists

I love to read.  One of my favorite genres is that of the short story.  O. Henry is a master of the short story.   If you haven't read The Gift of the Magi before, you must!  It will only take you about five minutes.

"Young" Love--Della and Jim

Basically, Della and James Dillingham Young are a young married couple.  No kids, but very much in love.  Della has saved all year to get a Christmas present for her husband.  She literally saved pennies at a time (obviously inflation has kicked in a bit since O. Henry wrote the story in 1906!).

On Christmas Eve, however, Della had only managed to save $1.87.  I guess even 100 years ago that couldn't buy very much.

Della decides to chop off her hair (hair that O. Henry describe as being beautiful enough to tarnish the Queen of Sheba's jewels) and sell it to a wig maker to buy a platinum chain for her husband's family heirloom, gold pocket watch.

She knew that as fancy and impressive as the watch was, her husband was sometimes embarrassed to pull it out to check the time because he could only afford a simple leather strap for it.  (Maybe her husband was an attorney (or law student) and had to keep checking the time because his professional life was ruled by the almighty "billable hour."  O. Henry doesn't say, but I digress...)

Della bought the platinum watch chain and it was the perfect gift.  Even though she now looked like a "truant schoolboy" and she did not feel cute at all, she was "intoxicated" with the thought that her beloved "Jim" would love the gift.

Well, Jim got home that night and presented Della with her Christmas gift.  It was a set of beautiful tortoise shell combs for wearing in her hair that Della had "worshipped long in a Broadway window."  Della's "heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession."

(First, I love how O. Henry can say so much in so few words.  He is a literary wordsmith.  Second, as a guy, I have no idea what a set of these combs would even look like or why they would be so expensive.  Were they like berets?  Headbands?  If you have any idea, feel free to help me out here...)

A tortoise shell comb (apparently)....why anyone would use it remains a mystery

The aforementioned set of combs was very expensive.  To pay for it, Jim sold his prized heirloom watch.

And so, both Della and Jim had, quite foolishly, sold their most personal, valuable, and prized possessions to buy a gift for the other that neither would be able to use!  Can't you just feel the irony?

And if that were the end of the story, it would be a great story.  Funny, ironic, and probably soon forgotten in the annals of American literature.

But O. Henry closes with the following paragraph and I think this is what makes the story so enigmatic and enduring--not to mention worthy of our attention during the Christmas season:

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

But what does this mean?  On a surface level, Della and Jim were certainly young and foolish.  But why would O. Henry say that they were also "wisest...They are the magi."?

I was wrestling with this issue in my mind for a few days and decided to put this question to my Young Men.  I got a very simple, but profound answer from "Paul"--one of my 12-13 year olds.  Paul said that Jim and Della were wise "because Christmas is about giving."

Christmas Is About Giving

The Magi (or Three Wise Men as they are sometimes called) traveled to visit the Baby Jesus.  They brought him gifts of gold, frankincense (a resin from trees used in incense and perfumes), and myrrh (another natural resin used as perfume, incense, and medicine).

These gifts were undeniably costly.  In ancient times, myrrh was worth its weight in gold.  The Magi's gifts were truly gifts fit for a king.

We give gifts at Christmas time in the continuation of the tradition started by the magi--the wise men.  As kids, we loved Christmas because of the joy, anticipation, and excitement that comes from Santa's visit.  As adults, that pure love and joy can get squeezed out in the hustle and bustle of shopping, office parties, and other year end festivities.

But Paul was right.  Christmas is really about giving.  And the best gifts are those the gifts where we give of ourselves.  I think the Magi knew that.

Maybe they could easily afford the gifts that they presented to the Baby Jesus.  But the Magi really gave of themselves in that they gave their time to search the heavens waiting for the star that signaled the birth of the Savior.  And then they traveled to seek Him out.  It could not have been an easy journey.  After finding Him, they were warned in a dream to go home by a different route so that Herod could not find and kill the newborn King of Kings.  They obeyed.  They truly were Wise Men.

The Wisdom of the "Youngs"



Yes, Jim and Della foolishly gave away their two most prized possessions.  But they are the wisest of givers because they gave of themselves.  They cared more about the recipient than they did about themselves.  In their youth and "foolishness," they actually understood that Christmas is about giving.  And they truly did give each other the best gifts.

The miracle of Christmas is that God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son to redeem us from our sins.  His gift to the world was perfect.  The Savior's gift to us--eternal life--is likewise perfect--the best gift.

We have been counseled by modern prophets to earnestly seek the "best gifts."  (D&C 46:8).  What better gift to seek than to seek after Christ?  It has been said that "Wise Men Still Seek Him."  At Christmas, we have an opportunity to do just that and to be reminded of the importance of doing that.

Jesus Is The Reason For The Season

The scriptures are replete with examples about giving.  The people of Israel were asked to give their best--the firstborn of their flocks.  They did so, but got so caught up in the technical aspects of their gifts, that they didn't realize that the purpose of their gifts was to foreshadow God's gift to mankind--the Savior Jesus Christ.

Today, it seems as if our society gets so caught up at times in the commercial aspects of Christmas that we forget the true reason for celebrating Christmas.  I admit I have a hard time feeling the true spirit of Christmas when rush around trying to be productive at work, be a dad, get to the store before it closes to do Christmas shopping, and fulfill a church calling.

Even though I'm still stressed about all those things and also about finding the perfect gift for the people on my Christmas List, I am going to look for opportunities to remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas this year.