First Baptist Church of Herndon

The gift of gab

Linda Soller | Dec 23, 2013

It occurs to me at this moment that some of you may not know what “the gift of gab” means. To be sure we all start on the same page it means that a person has a way with words. They are an easy conversationalist, often witty, and they seem to know the right thing to say at the right time. To test if you know someone with the gift of gab, think to the last time when you really enjoyed chatting with a person. Maybe you knew them well or maybe not. Did they seem to say all the right things? Did the conversation just flow along? Did you find yourself interested in or enjoying what they had to contribute? Usually we say someone has the gift of gab, but I think having the gift of gab is also a giving thing. Let me explain.

The other night I got a thank you note from someone who I feel has the gift of gab. This woman is fun to talk to, she listens as well as contributes, and I look forward to talking with her. In social settings you can see she easily moves from group to group, her conversation is in demand. When I saw who the note was from I instantly looked forward to opening it to see what she had to say. I wasn’t disappointed.  I’m not saying it was the most eloquent note I’ve ever gotten, but it had the same free flowing fun style that is her speaking style. I found myself smiling. Her note made me feel that she really meant the “thank you” she was offering — it was sincere.

That is why I think the “gift of gab” is a gift that belongs to the one person and is given to others, and it can be given over and over again. I felt better after reading her note. When I thought about the last time we talked I realized I felt better then as well. People with the gift of gab make those they are speaking to feel better. They give part of themselves and their time to the person they are addressing. They spend about the same amount of time listening as they do speaking. When you consider those facts, it is quite a gift to have and to give.

I would like to be such a person and I’m really not, not yet. What I admire so about people with the gift of gab is their ability to make the person or people they are talking to feel better for having had the conversation. At the holidays we have lots of opportunities to converse with others, and it seems a perfect time to develop our gift of gab, and at the same time give it away. Here are some tips we can all put to good use. Smile and make eye contact when you say, “Merry Christmas!”  Ask how someone is doing, and then actually listen to their answer. Get to know someone new, and have them come away feeling like you have known each other forever. When you thank a person make them feel the sincerity that you feel.  Spend some of your valuable time getting really lost in a good conversation. Make an effort to converse with someone you might normally overlook or even avoid. When you do any of these things you are saying to the other person, “you are important,” and that is a truly wonderful gift.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and have a very Merry Christmas!  :o)    Linda