Wonder of Wonder, Miracle of Miracles

Our new little bundle of joy

Now that St. James's Palace has announced that the Duchess of Cambridge is with heir, the eyes of the tabloid world will be even more fixed upon the royal waistline.

This is good news for my household, which will now surely fly under radar, even with the exciting news of the recent arrival of the as-yet-unnamed joy-bundle pictured here, fuzzy and diminutive pop-fusion of Hello Kitty and Oregon Duck fan.

Those in the know will "get" the significance of Hello Kitty to my modest universe. Even those not in the know will (or should!) get the significance of the Ducks. But while those two elements add a fun-factor to the new addition, here's the detail that's really worth mentioning: Duck-fan Kitty was a gift.

Sometime this week, between the cornucopia of indulgence that is Thanksgiving and the obligatory slam-shop and wrap-panic of Christmas, a friend stood in front of a store display, saw this greening goddess packed into her form-fitting tee and thought of us. Not because ours were names to scratch off a long list of names, not because of some mandatory pretzel-knot of indulgence and gift-giving, but simply because there was joy in the moment of making that connection, joy in the moment of the anticipated receiving. Duck-fan Kitty was a gift from the heart.

This can be a pretty thrilling time of year, fat-bellied with good feelings and gravy-stain-deep in tradition. But one date or another on the calendar's grid ought not be the driving force for letting someone know just how important she or he is to you. Our beloveds, for certain. But don't forget the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. You matter. That's the gift each of us carries every single time we're birthed into a new day.

I don't forget you're out there, My Readers. Happy today.

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