Last updated on August 20, 2020
Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
There was once a young couple that lived in the depths of poverty. Even though they could barely make a living, they passionately loved each other and would give anything in the world to protect one another. On Christmas Eve, Della, the wife, was extremely stressed because she could not afford a present for her husband, Jim.
She wanted to buy him a luminescent gold chain for his watch which was initially owned by Jim’s grandfather. As Christmas day approached, she became very frantic. Then, she remembered she could sell her hair. So, she ran to a local shop that buys hair to make whigs.
When she cut off her hair, she received twenty dollars. She then searched the entire town to look for the perfect gold watch chain. That night, as she was preparing dinner, she was worried Jim would no longer be attracted to her because she cut her hair.
She clutched the soft gold medal as Jim wearily walked through the door. When Jim noticed his wife’s barren head, his expression was blank. He felt neither anger nor sorrow but was confused as to why she would cut her hair. Della pleaded that she was still the same person and stated she cut her hair out of necessity. Jim said that he loved her no matter what and gave her a white package.
Tears of joy overcame Della. Inside the package were combs lined with diamonds. They were the ones she longed for every time she saw them in the store window. She was very pleased with her new treasure and thanked Jim. She then gave Jim the gold watch chain and said she wanted to see him wear it with the watch. He sat down and smiled. He told Della he sold his watch to buy the combs.
People who say, “Why can’t Della just grow her hair back?” or “Why can’t Jim scrape enough money to buy another watch?” are missing the underlying message of the story. Della and Jim sacrificed their one valuable procession for each other. In doing this, they believed their love transcended the value of their procession.
The gifts, while useless in the current state, represented their devotion and passion for one another. Because applied to modern society, the true beauty of this story was its exemplification of virtue. Gratitude, humility, grace, acceptance, and love were all exercised without the presence of excessive amounts of toys and mounds of cash.
Gifts are really secondary to the virtue of family. In part, Christmas is celebrated to acknowledge the impact our beloved have on our life. “The Gift of the Magi” is a beautiful story because it proclaims our love and passion for our beloved is vastly more important than the gifts we give one another.
From the editors, contributors, and media team of the Outspoken Oppa, we want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
