最珍貴的禮物

聖誕節快到了, 對於世上不少人來說 (無論你信不信教), 是一個普天同慶的日子, 當中很重要的一個元素, 是因為這是一個分享的節日。正如上帝藉著耶穌基督的降生將祂的愛分享給世人, 人們也會趁著聖誕節互贈禮物, 並會樂於賙濟窮乏的人。能夠分享, 不啻是一種福氣, 因為你能與人分享你所有的, 你已比很多人幸福了。

在雜誌上看到幾篇有意思的文章, 都是環繞著 "Giving More" 的主題, 不原文照錄了, 看這裡吧:

給城市們的禮物

香港人, 不要整天想著要香港給你什麼, 我們有什麼禮物可以給香港的呢?
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施予的季節

文中引用的詩, 即是作者的祖母送給他的聖誕禮物, 是英國詩人 Rudyard Kipling 的 If。這個可以照抄原文:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same:

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

這首詩, 驟眼看有點似曾相識...好像是吾人中學時代的英文課文 (還是朗誦誦材?), 現在回想起來, 真是想爆頭也不明白, 選這篇詩的人怎麼會期望一個懵懵下的中學生, 會細味到當中的深意和期許? 十多年後再讀, 開始懂了一點, 但我相信, 這是個一生的修為。願在這佳節, 共勉之。