On this Christmas Eve 2025 and in reflection on my life, I write this poem. With a recognition that my life that has been bountiful in so many ways, and thus has shaped my view of how I approach life, it would be with gratitude that I have also developed a perspective that we are each given the ‘gift of life’, and that it is ours to shape. If one approaches even life’s pleasures with a frown as to the effort required or lives with an eye on what others have or what one does not have, then life becomes jaded. It is our life. We each own it. It is how we react or the choices we make that create opportunities and possibilities. And it is our perspective and efforts that most inform the legacy of our gift of life.
We’ve each been given life as a gift
Even if at times it seems the creator was a bit miffed
While life is not always easy, it’s also not a chore
On our life journey, we celebrate, learn and get to explore
By our choices and actions, we reflect our life approach
We may not be perfect, but can have a life beyond reproach
Take responsibility for the what and how in our life
Who we are will then guide us through harmony and strife
Nurture and develop our talents and power of choice
Then use and share wisely, and also rejoice
It’s been said that our stripes in life we have to earn
From our experiences, we both gain and learn
Invest in the important and how we spend our time
Rolling our sleeves up when mountains are to be climbed
Valuing kindness and sharing a smile
Persevering through the daily and then going that extra mile
Don’t sweat the small stuff and let go the anger
Step beyond the negative and those who love their own clangor
Stand up for community well-being and those who need a lift
Your voice and actions form in part how you live your gift
With what we each have, develop and share
We’re the candle of hope and show others we care
It’s not the money or what we don’t control
It’s in our attitude and how we choose to be whole
With no guarantees, we’ve no rights to have it all
Even those who appear to have a lot, may be rather small
Sometimes it’s how we choose to work and live
Resulting in being wealthy and having more to give
Living our gift of life in humility is our internal light
A quiet model for others in making the world bright
Our legacy is the gift to the world and those we love
Make it good, as you’ll be watching forever from heaven above.