“This is your Christmas present from me, Mama, I’m going to put it under the tree.”
The child has been busy making presents for people and putting them under our Christmas tree. Every single one of them is going to be a surprise on Christmas morning. I have no idea what little goodies she has wrapped up for us. She is quite determined, it seems, to do it all herself. She has no money to speak of (it runs in the family) so she is either making or finding these things around the house. She scavenges wrapping paper, does her own wrapping and labeling (perhaps a little help with spelling a soon-to-be-visiting cousin’s name) and places her little secrets under the tree. It’s all very sweet. I think I’ve mentioned before how the child loves to give. It is hard-wired into her DNA, I believe, as her father is also a very giving person. When she give someone a gift it is her way of saying, “I am connected to you, and I love you.” I took it as an extreme honor that her gift to me was the first under the tree.
My litte surprise is waiting under our tree...
I must say my curiosity is piqued. My little surprise truly is little. I’ve never seen a tinier package. It is smaller than a ring box. Good things come in small packages, they say. I know I will love it no matter what it is, because it will be from the child, her way of telling me, “I love you, Mama.”
I hope everyone else who opens their little surprises will have a similar response, because, I have to admit some of her gift choices can be a little odd – sticks, rocks, grass (for her science teacher when they were studying roots), scribbled art, sequin “jewels” and fabric. I can see how some people might reply with, “Huh?” or worse.
Since I have no idea what she’s wrapped up in these little mystery packages, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. Reminds me of those days so long ago when I couldn’t wait for Christmas to come…