The Twelve Gifts of Birth

There's a bit of a story behind my love of this book. About ten years ago, I bought it at a book fair. That following summer, when I visited my family in Alaska, the author was holding a book signing at the local Barnes and Noble. My sister, Cortney, and I had the chance to visit with her for quite a while. She wrote the book for her daughters in response to the fairy tale idea that "royal" children received "royal" gifts at their birth. She wanted her girls to know that they received gifts at their birth, and it was their privilege and responsibility to develop those gifts.

I don't want to break any copyright laws by reproducing the whole book, but let me share those 12 gifts with you. The story tells how wise women, or "Fairy Godmothers" began to understand that these gifts weren't just for royalty. And while initially, they couldn't proclaim the gifts to all children, they did make a prophecy:

Some day all the children of the world will learn the truth about their noble inheritance. When that happens a miracle will unfold on the kingdom of Earth.

And their secret was that "At the moment you were born, as you took your first breath, a great celebration was held in the heavens and twelve magnificent gifts were granted to you."

The first gift is STRENGTH.

May you remember to call upon it whenever you need it.

The second gifts is BEAUTY.

May your deeds reflect its depth.

The third gifts is COURAGE.

May you speak and act with confidence and use courage to follow your own path.

The fourth gift is COMPASSION.

May you be gentle with yourself and others. May you forgive those who hurt you and yourself when you make mistakes.

The fifth gift is HOPE.

Through each passage and season, may you trust the goodness of life.

The sixth gift is JOY.

May it keep your heart open and filled with light.

The seventh gift is TALENT.

May you discover your own special abilities and contribute them toward a better world.

The eighth gift is IMAGINATION.

May it nourish your visions and dreams.

The ninth gift is REVERENCE.

May you appreciate the wonder that you are and the miracle of all creation.

The tenth gift is WISDOM.

Guiding your way, wisdom will lead you through knowledge to understanding. May you hear its soft voice.

The eleventh gift is LOVE.

It will grow each time you give it away.

The twelfth gift is FAITH.

May you believe.

It goes on to say that as you use these gifts, you will discover other gifts that make you who you are. It also says that you should look for these gifts in others, and share the "secret" and be ready for the miracle to unfold.

So, that's part one of the story. It's an inspiring little book. One of those things that help you remember who you are, and who you are capable of becoming. Part two of the story is that my parents were going through some of Cortney's things and found an "additional" part of the story that I'd written during that summer. So, I'm sharing it here:

What the book fails to mention is the individual stories of each person who received these twelve gifts. The most memorable of these tales is the story of the Grover Hill Girls. For when the twelve fairies passed into the little valley of St. Johns, they realized that a 13th gift would be needed in order that these girls prosper in such harsh conditions. And that thirteenth, unique gift is this:

HUMOR.

To see the light side of all situations, even the dark ones.

And while this gift was specifically given to the girls that lived in the neighborhood down from the fairgrounds--it will go on forever--being faithfully passed down to each generation.

When the fairies had finished, they flew out of town, comforted by the sight of the Blue Hills and the dark monsoon clouds, the cedars out East and the sunset to the West.

With an extra flutter of their wings, fairy dust was blown back into town. It settled in the heart of each Grover Hill Girl, leaving behind a love of sagebrush and sandwashes; of football games and cookout fires; of boys who bail hay and go to church; of girls who you've known from first grade.

And last of all is the belief: That no matter how far you travel, no matter how long it's been; when you top Grover's Hill and look down into the valley-You know you are HOME.

So, to all of you who are from St. Johns, married someone from St. Johns, or have a bit of St. Johns in your heart: I love you and what you stand for. You are strength, courage and kindness in the face of difficulty. You stand for family, for friends and for God. You get back up when life gets you down. You help those who can't stand for themselves. And you do it with a smile and (because, well, we're from St. Johns) a little bit of sarcasm on your tongue. May you all see the wonderful gifts that are you.