Letters A Timely Gift It’s the time of year when we add another tide
to high, low, and neap — Yule. As we sit patiently admiring the pretty red lights cheerfully lined up to get into the mall parking lots, it’s a good time to reflect on maybe another way to celebrate this time of conspicuous generosity. Gifts are, of course, a wonderful way to show one’s love and appreciation to friends and family, but maybe something else can be added to the list, even more precious than a new pair of fleece socks — time. Time has become a cherished commodity these days, so making some “extra” isn’t an easy task for most. Of course it can’t all be done at once at this time of year, and it’s hard to wrap, but maybe, spread out over the year, it might just be doable. For instance, what a nice gift to your fellow sailors at the yacht club, marina, community sailing program, junior programs, to put in just a couple extra hours. Sure a lot of the mundane stuff is, well, mundane, but it’s those little things that add up and build camaraderie, a sense of belonging. Can you imagine if everyone did that? That would be a pretty
impressive amount of needed attention, spread the load out a bit, and in the end, a great present for all, from all. Okay, I guess it’s more of a New Year’s resolution than a holiday gift. But, as we all sip our egg nog and comment on how, “Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone was nice to each other like this all year ‘round?” it’s not much different than when we talk about how nice everyone is that we meet when we’re out sailing. Sailors are known for helping each other out on the water. It can be basically the same thing back at the dock. Time is a very precious gift that is only given by
sharing and truly makes the world a warmer place, sort of like fleece socks for the heart.
Editor
Happy Holidays! For your crew at 48° North
Rich
Cai
Karen
Michael 48° NORTH, DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 13
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