Children love receiving gifts. Nowadays birthdays and Christmases are marked weeks in advance by lists of desired objects and each season promotes something that all are supposed to desire. It is wonderful when a gift meets or surpasses expectations, but embarrassing when a carefully-chosen gift proves to be something we never wanted.

Some people are blessed with the talent of choosing perfect gift for everyone all of the time. I am not one such. However hard I try I cannot come up with pleasant surprises and all too often offer horrible shocks.

I am sure, however, that the greatest gift we all receive is the gift of life. It does not always provide us with plain sailing, but when we are faced by rough seas, we can often experience happiness in simple things. May we always be able to recognise the good things which lie in store for us.