The Gift of Recognition - Each of us likes to be recognized for a job well-done. Just a word or two to someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty is a precious gift.

The Gift of "Little Things" - A wise person once said, "I have come to believe that when it comes to caring for others, there are no little things." A touch, a smile, a quick note or phone call, letting someone in front of you into traffic - little things can go a long way.

The Gift of Appreciation - A close cousin to recognition, we I all have a need to be appreciated. A simple "thank you for ... " is all it takes.

The Gift of Rest - I recently asked a client what she would be doing for the holidays. Her response, with a sigh of relief, was "absolutely, positively nothing at all." This speaks to the need for and power of rest in our lives.

The Gift of "Being There" - A minister I know says that many times after he visits people in the hospital they tell him it's not what he said that made a difference, it was simply his being there that counted. There are times when just someone's presence in our lives is a precious gift.

The Gift of Touch - We live in such a fast-paced, high stress society. Some days, the only touch we receive is getting bumped into by other people. According to massage therapist Brett Pace, "a healing touch can bring a feeling of well-being, helps your body serve you better and can even boost your immune system." When was the last time you touched, hugged or held someone you loved?

The Gift of Letters - In the age of faxes, e-mail and the Internet, the art of letter-writing has diminished. Almost everyone I know has letters that they treasure. There is something about the written word, especially the handwritten word, that has lasting and comforting value. Is there someone who would benefit from a handwritten letter from you?

The Gift of Friendship - Recently, we had dinner with some friends whom we had not seen for several months. When we sat down to eat, it was as if we picked up where we had left off, as if we had seen each other yesterday. We all need this kind of friends..

Singer-songwriter and master storyteller Harry Chapin once wrote, "Old friends ... can see where you are, and they know where you've been."

Longtime friends give us a sense of place and time, and accept us for who we are, warts and all.

The Gift of Service - Motivational speaker Brian Tracy has this to say about the value of service in our lives: "You achieve real meaning and purpose when you feel- you are serving." Look around you this holiday season and coming year. There will always be situations in which you can serve others. The kick is that it makes you feel better, too.

The Gift of Conversation

Modern life offers us many distractions that keep us from simply sitting and talking. A question I enjoy asking families is, "What do you do in your family when the electricity goes out in your home?" So many families have shared wonderful stories of creative, non-electric fun. What most people end up sharing is the conversations they had with family members by flashlight or candlelight.

My question then is this: Do we really need a power outage to have good conversation with our loved ones?

As we recycle the wrapping paper from another gift-giving season, let us stop and reflect on the gifts that really count, those of lasting value that we can give and receive, over and over again, throughout the year.