Christmas advertising is in full swing right now. Companies are hopeful for a bit of a bump and rebound from the economic difficulties of the last year. Some parents are desperately searching for the “hot” toy – a mechanical hamster that randomly moves. It’s another toy that will fascinate a child for about 20 minutes before it’s set aside in favor of something else. On this Thanksgiving Eve, I find myself posing the question, “Of the things that I have, what are the ones that really have value and meaning?”

The TV we bought just in the nick of time for the Beijing Olympics may be monetarily valuable and functionally pleasing, but it has no real value for me except that there’s a good story attached with it (our old TV broke down 90 minutes before the opening ceremony and we rushed to Best Buy, made a quick decision, and had figured out how to hook the new TV up with 2 minutes to spare!) There all sorts of things in my house that I couldn’t resist buying and which are now just stuff cluttering a shelf or closet, waiting for a trip to Good Will.

So what makes something more than a thing? I have been thinking about this for a while. And I have been thinking about a few things and who I might “pass them on” to someday. There’s a book and a picture given to me from my father. Buried in my closet is a bulky winter sweater knitted by my mother (that I haven’t worn in over 40 years). And what about the small antique trunk that was given to me simply because my name is Andrew, having been named after Anders, my great-grandfather who immigrated from Norway almost 140 years ago?

I would guess, that as your thoughts drift along these channels, you will find yourself also recognizing that the things that have real meaning and value for us are often not those that have monetary value. They are ones that carry with them a good story, a relationship, a part of our history, and a sense of meaning. And as gifts are given, we give thanks for the people that have made this true for us.