Come they told him, pa rum pum pum pum.
A newborn King to see, pa rum pum pum pum.
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum.
To lay before our King, pa rum pum pum pum…
This of course is the beginning of The Little Drummer Boy, composed in 1958 by Katherine K Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone. You know the story. There is excitement in the birth of Jesus, the new King, the one who will lead the world into triumph, joy and a new way of life. To celebrate this great news, gifts befitting a King are offered. But what about the little boy with not much to offer….the boy who has no ‘Kingly” gifts? The story continues…
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum…On my drum?
And Mary nodded and he played: I played my drum for him…I played my best for him.
The wisdom in this story is both great and simple. Too often we look for what we can afford to buy for someone who is important in our life. We want to show them that we appreciate them, love them, have dreams and hopes for them. We want to honor them…their presence in our life. We want to lay the best gift before them. We may search high and low, in many places to find the perfect gift, the one that says…you matter, you are important , I love you.
But the perfect gift is not to be found at the mall, online or at a specialty store. The perfect gift, the one that matters the most is you. You being you. You offering your best self. You expressing the gifts and talents that you have today.
Then he smiled at me…me and my drum.
And in return…a smile that knows what you offer is from the tenderness of your heart.
In the sometimes madness of this season, I wish you all the love your heart can hold.
Peace always
Paula
