Gifts are on my mind constantly right now, as I shop for family and friends, aware that they are shopping for me as well.
A gift can be a treasure, an offering of love (or hate), a blessing, a curse, a joy, or a nuisance. It all depends upon the gift and the giver.
The right (or wrong) gift can spark a story into action, changing a character’s life.
How often has a sword (or lightsaber), a ring, or a rose been handed over in a book or a movie, changing a character’s destiny, altering the choices they make?
How often has there been a stuffed animal, a nutcracker, or some other mystery waiting under a holiday tree, revealing itself to be more than it seemed?
The right (or wrong) gift can be the beginning of adventure, or the end of one.
I recall an enchantment cursing a child at birth…hey, I’ve done my own fairy tale, Fairest based on this one…or afflicting a nobleman with a monstrous form.
Gifts have power. Gifts can be as powerful as a stone cast into a still pond, or a frozen one, causing ripples or cracking it. Gifts can be as simple, deadly, and life-affirming as a kiss upon one’s brow.
Gifts can reveal what someone else wishes you to become. Gifts are an opportunity to change. Gifts can be one precious moment, or bring you days of delight. Gifts can an albatross hanging around your neck you cannot discard.
What kind of gifts have influenced you, changing your life? What kind of gifts have been offered to your characters, altering their paths?