…Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted— to understand, than to be understood— to love, than to be loved. ~ Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (p. 99). AA World Services, Inc. Kindle Edition.

As you sit around a Christmas tree,
or some other gift[exchanging event,
where is your attention. When you were a child,
probably on the stack before you.
As a parent, probably on your child’s pile.
It seems with maturity the glee of others
warms your heart, you open your own
because it’s courteous. If the gift given
is comfort, understanding, or love
isn’t it true you obtain as much of the sensation
as the titular recipient?
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort
than to be comforted — to understand,
than to be understood— to love, than to be loved.