The Gift of the Heart

It was Christmas Eve, and the small apartment of Jim and Della was filled with a quiet sadness. They had very little, and what little they did have was precious. Jim, with his worn coat and tired eyes, had been working long hours as a clerk to make ends meet. Della, with her soft brown hair tied in a simple ribbon, counted every penny as she tried to make the holiday special.

Visit: Voices of Nancy

Della looked at her reflection in the cracked mirror and sighed. She had just $1.87 in her hand. That was all she had saved after months of scrimping, and she wanted desperately to buy a gift for Jim that would show her love. She wanted something meaningful, something that would make him happy on this one special day.

Her eyes fell on Jim’s prized possession: a gold pocket watch that had belonged to his father and grandfather. He treasured it above all else. And then her thoughts turned to her own treasure—her long, beautiful hair, which cascaded down her back like a chestnut waterfall. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

Without a second thought, Della ran to the nearest shop and sold her hair to a wig maker. With the money in hand, she purchased a fine chain for Jim’s watch—a chain that was strong, elegant, and worthy of his beloved timepiece. It wasn’t much, but it was all she could do, and she hoped he would feel her love through it.

Meanwhile, Jim had his own plan. He, too, wanted to give Della a gift that would show her how much he loved her. He knew how much she treasured her hair, which she carefully cared for every day. After counting his earnings and realizing that money was tight, he reluctantly went to a jeweler and purchased a set of ornamental combs for Della’s hair—combs that were the very ones she had admired for months but could never afford. They were beautiful, ornate, and expensive. Jim thought of her joy at receiving them, and it warmed his heart.

That evening, Della waited nervously for Jim to return home. She hid the chain behind her back and tried to act normal, though the weight of her secret made her fidget. When Jim walked through the door, the two of them stood in stunned silence for a moment.

Della handed Jim the chain. “I want you to have this for your watch,” she said softly, her eyes shining.

Jim opened the small box she handed him and saw the chain. Then he looked at her, and a slow smile spread across his face. “Della…” he whispered.

Della gasped as she realized the truth. Jim held out the delicate combs, now useless because she had cut off her long hair. He, too, had sacrificed his most prized possession—his watch—by selling it to buy her the combs.

For a moment, they both laughed and cried at the same time, understanding the depth of their love. Their gifts were now impractical, even useless in a material sense, but they had shown something far greater than money could ever buy. They had shown devotion, sacrifice, and the selfless love that comes from the heart.

In the quiet apartment, among the modest decorations and the simple tree, they held each other close. They realized that love was not about possessions or wealth, but about giving everything you have for someone else’s happiness. And in that moment, Jim and Della understood the true meaning of Christmas—a love so rich it needed no material measure.

It was the greatest gift they could ever give each other: the gift of the heart.