READING EXPLORATION ESSAY

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

JANICA A. GREGORIO
BEED 1B
 Selflessness is an important quality as it mirrors love, which leads
you to maximum bliss.

One word which explains everything about love is sacrifice. By acting

selflessly, we show that we genuinely care for them. Because selfless acts
can only come from love. It occasionally reflects on many couples, including
Jim and Della in the story of “The Gift of the Magi”. In this story, it features a
young couple, despite their poverty, individually resolve to give each other
an elegant gift on Christmas Eve.

There were two main characters in the story: Della, a very nice and
caring woman, and Jim, the family's breadwinner, who both had made huge
sacrifice to express their love for one another.

Christmas Eve is quickly approaching, and both are concerned about

how they can buy a present on that special night. They were madly in love
with each other, that is why they wanted to show their deep affection and
their worthiness to be owned with a gift that was rare and sterling. Yes, Jim
was employed, but times were tough, and they were struggling financially. It
was barely enough to pay for their small apartment with his small amount of
salary. So, Jim decided to sell his gold pocket watch, a watch that had an
important value as it was once belonged to his grandfather and was passed
from generation to generation . He bought Della a golden comb for her hair,
but later on found useless since Della sold her hair to buy his present.
Della's hair was lustrous, long, and it fell below her knees. That is why many
were envious. And it was one of the few possessions Della considered to be
her own personal treasure. Madame Sofronie bought Della's long hair for
$20. Della then uses the money to buy a platinum pocket watch chain for
Jim. However, she soon discovered that it was pointless because Jim's watch
had gone. She decided to buy Jim a chain because she thought it would
complement Jim's most valuable possession: his watch.
 Upon showing their presents they have realized how much they would
sacrifice for each other and their happiness. Sacrificing means you love that
person who you sacrificing with.  They have demonstrated that love
transcends all material possessions.   And we can achieve satisfaction in life
despite a lack of money.

As for me, I truly believe that in this world there is no man who lives
solely by himself. No man is truly selfish; they become selfish under
conditions. Each and one of us has made our little or great sacrifices because
we do care and love the people that surround us. To some extent, it
transforms us into someone we never knew, someone who is selfless that
thinks more about others than themselves. Because selflessness is
compassion and empathy. Selflessness is love. Love is a feeling that is seen
not only in relationships, but between friends, family, and those feelings are
stronger than those with someone in a relationship with love, People make
many types of sacrifices for love. They can be sacrifices of time, money,
attention, and physical things.

I'd like to share a part of me, a part of my life. Others may observe
that every day appears to be a sacrifice. But it isn't, because it's love. Being
an OFW daughter is not easy. Yes, I am well provided for in the sense of my
physical needs. However, it can be emotionally draining at times. Because
no one is there to take care of you. I began to be independent at a young
age, which made me envious when other mothers had children tie their hair,
prepare their food, and arrange their clothes at school. Because no one is
doing all of those things for me. And I expected my father to take care of
me, but I felt like I was the one who was taking care of him. But he
portrayed his role as a father to me. There are just cases in which he lacks.
Others would advise me to stop washing his clothes and allow him to
prepare his own food because he was old enough. Because honestly, me and
my sister are doing all of these things. Instead, we should put education and
personal needs first. They said to stop treating him like a king. Because we
are his princesses and should be treated as his princesses. That it would be
understandable if he was sick or had a deficiency, but he was just simply
lazy. To the extent he will only do the things that he should be doing, such
as cooking, if he is in the mood or if he likes to.

If you were to ask me, am I happy with my current state of living,

having this experience? I will answer it with a hundred percent assurance

that yes, that life is maybe hard, but in the name of love I can withstand
these difficulties in life. It may be exhausting, but I still love and adore my
father. And, there are a lot of things people don't know behind closed doors.
I still consider myself a lucky daughter having him as my father. He has
taught me a variety of things, especially in life. And have shaped and
instilled great values in me. I want to cherish every moment with him. I
don't want to have regrets at the end of the day. Before, I couldn't imagine
myself being selfless, but as time has gone by, I have come to realize that,
in my own simple way, I can. I keep in mind that whining and harboring
grudges will not get you anywhere. That is why, I have created my own
personality who always chooses to look on the bright side, who believes that
it is okay to take a risk, to take a difficult path in order to achieve the
highest level of happiness in life.

On the other side, our mother is the most unselfish individual in the
world. Being a mother was not an easy task, they have given up everything
for their family. That is why there is nothing more precious, lovely or
perceptible than the sacrifice of a mother. It's just great. Everyone who has
experienced the love and care of a mother realizes her sacrifices' true value.
It differs from person to person. To express this, there are no words. For her
children, a mother gives up her life, acknowledges her errors and is the only
one who knows them really well. For her children, she sacrifices her food,
time and joy and seldom complains about the difficult times she is going
through. Moms typically are families' backbone. It's not always a simple
work for mothers. Moms have sacrifices to make. Moms might have
shattered their hearts. They must be young children's awareness and
frequently become grownup in the heart of their wrath and anguish. Moms
are excellent because they typically understand and always adore their
children. My mother never beat me and never reprimanded me . She was
very understanding and, with her love and care, she assisted me in getting
started in life.

Therefore, we never underestimate the mother's effect on a child. It

may not always look like this, but we children always look for direction in
how we handle problems to our mother. That is why of all people, mothers
should be respected, and placed at great value as they have a tremendous
impact on each and every one of us. 

And did you know what touches the heart of every child? It is the
belief that, despite life and death sacrifices, a mother's only happiness is
seeing her child grow into a better person. That no other valuable material
things can repay a mother's hardships, but only see their children in a good
state. Indeed, she is a selfless person, an angel in disguise. For sacrificing
her sleep so we could dream big. For making sure we had the best, even
when she was at her worst. Nothing can come close to the love that a
mother feels for her children.

  Making sacrifices to become happy is part of life. Simply because we

humans are bound to feel love. And when we love, we love selflessly. Just
like Jim and Della, because of love, this couple could sacrifice everything in
order to make each other happy. In particular, they have emphasized the
willingness to let go of their most valuable possessions to make someone
feel precious. Amidst all the uncertainties of them being poor, their love for
one another triumphed. In the end, they choose to express their love
through sacrifice. Della's hair. For Jim, his watch. They probably can't use
and bring the things they have given to each other in heaven, but their love
can create its own safe haven.

And as a child, whatever and whoever your parents are, we have the
responsibility to take care of them, endure and make sacrifices for them.
Because that is love, and when it is true love, it doesn't feel like a sacrifice.
Instead, it is filled with warm feelings . In sum, love is a notion that facilitates
our daily stresses.
Finally, when we talk about our mothers, we aren't talking about
ordinary women. She is our superhero for being selfless. She is the only one
who can take everyone else's place, but there is no one else who will be
there to take her place. God could not be everywhere. That's why he made
our mom. Mom is the greatest thing in the whole world. She knows
everything. She always wants our happiness. Our mother is an excellent
example of love, affection, and sacrifice.

You know its love when happiness doesn't come through selfishness,

but through selflessness. When we love we became selfless, self-sufficiency
is a trait that reflects love, leading to the greatest happiness.