Bereft of ideas
Searching for that perfect gift
That will give your treasured hearts
A flash of joy and lasting lift.

But what can give such boundless joy?
You’re surrounded by a thousand promises
Of heaven in a little box
Of what you’ve all been looking for

What gives a soul such fortitude,
To stand these torrents of harassed seekers,
And persist in your hopeless search,
For the key to a moment of family bliss?

Stand back from the stream,
See the madness of it all.
A present is too easy;
A well-lived life is a worthier call.

To be a good father, husband, friend
A faithful wife, mother, sibling or child.
And every day, not just once a year,
What is the point of appearances?

Give me reality and make it better.
Acknowledge a problem and work to resolve it.
Comfort the lonely, be there for a friend,
Celebrate small victories, yet

See life through to the end.