The electronic invite landed in my inbox in early November.

“The presence of your company is requested as we celebrate Foundation Day,” it read, announcing the time, date and place for the campus event.

Coming from the hustle-and-bustle world of non-profit boards, big city universities and having covered far too many chamber of commerce events as a newspaper reporter, I assumed the gathering was a rub-elbows-with-big-time-donors kind of thing. Big yawn, right?

Wrong.

Instead, the gathering was a celebration of the foundation—quite literally—of beliefs, practices and ideals set forth by the Sisters of Mercy, the sponsoring organization for Georgian Court University.

Yes, there was food. And live music, and gifts under our president’s Christmas tree. But for a few minutes at the beginning of a busy holiday weekend, it was a special time to focus on appreciating the people around us, the intangible gifts we bring to our jobs and professional relationships, and paying homage to the Sisters of Mercy embrace us and teach us by practicing what they preach: respect, dignity, integrity, service and compassion.

Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest and most unexpected.

Here’s to hoping you find something like that under your tree this season!

G. H. Towns