The Gift

Years ago, "Tom" Brown was very good at investing money. His prowess at this became well known, and soon others sent him money to invest. For awhile, everyone was happy, for both Tom and his investors were making money. Tom guaranteed then a 10% profit. Tom was very good about paying his investors on time and in full. Then the market slumped, andTom made a few bad investments. Tom should have been forthright, and informed his investors about the bad news. He did not. Instead, he kept paying the investors the full 10%. His business imploded, and the investors became angry. Tom was charged with fraud. In 1998, when Tom was 66, he was convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prison To him, this was a life sentence. Today Tom is still in prison. The human spirit accepts no limitations. As the result of being imprisoned, Tom has grown in spirit. He writes articles that brim with deep and abiding wisdom. His articles are inspiring; they speak of patience, forgiveness and love. Stanley Peele is an emergency judge. He has been on the bench for 40 years. He and Tom have been writing each other for years. Through these letters, they have shared their aspirations and their deepest feelings. Although they have never met, have never heard each other’s voice, they have become close friends. Christmas is a time of joy. It also brings feelings of sadness and gloom. On Dec. 14, ‘05, Stanley was sitting at the kitchen table. His heart was heavy, for he had just heard of the death of a friend. He looked at his mail which was stacked on the table. "Oh!" He said to his wife, "Here is a letter from Tom!" He opened the envelope; here is the letter: ~~~~~~~~~ {Stanley – As you can imagine, I’m really limited with what I can send you for Christmas. Ah, but what I can send you is in this box – [Here he carefully drew a box wrapped in green paper with a red ribbon around it, crowned by a red ribbon.] Now this is not an ordinary box. It’s a magical box. When you untie the ribbon and open it, hearts and smileys ( :) :) :):) ) . . . will pop out. They represent the love and blessings I’m sending you. Merry Christmas to you, Stanley!} ~~~~~~~~~~ A tear formed in Stanley’s eye. He thought: "Wouldn’t it be nice if others followed Tom’s lead, and sent this type of gift – rather than presents.?" For here in this simple card, Tom had expressed the true essence of Christmas! By sending this simple gift, Tom had lifted Stanley’s spirits. Christmas is a time of letting go of the desire for wealth, power and fame; a time of turning toward the real world that lies under the patina of drama and ego. And that is the world of love. The earth was created out of love. It was the Garden of Eden. It is our desire for goods, money and influence that has changed the Garden of Eden into a world of turmoil. Today Tom Brown is in prison. All his property has been taken. He has no money, no stocks, no car, no bank account, no house, no furniture, nothing. Yes, he is in prison, but his spirit is free. His mind is free. And with his mind and his spirit, he can travel to the far corners of the universe! Fly away, Tom! Fly upward and away! Tom Brown and Stanley Peele December, 2005