Whew.
I just spent most of my morning and part of my afternoon digging around the tape with my fingernail looking for the end so I could tape and wrap gifts that looks like a one-armed-blind-person has wrapped.
I'm out of tissue so the shirt I am giving my brother looks quite bare and cheap, folded in that large box. Except for the tags attached, it almost has that used look to it. I'm out of gift tags so I'm writing on the wrapping paper. Every other gift is missing about an inch of wrapping paper on the bottom because I underestimated how much to cut. As I neatly placed the many items for my college-age nephew in a box, I thought so long and hard for ... now looks like a lousy idea so I added a $20 dollar bill along with it to make it look more valuable. The earrings I am giving to another, wrapped in tissue without a box looks like I found it in my own jewelry box. How old am I? By my wrapping job, I would guess about eight.
Oh, I know in the end, when I go to bed tomorrow night, I will look back on Christmas and think back to the wonderful day. They will hardly notice in the excitement of opening presents that my gift wrapping wasn't just right. Inevitably, someone will accidently open the wrong gift addressed to another. And another gift will have gotten thrown out by accident when someone becomes over zealous throwing out the wrapping paper to clean up the mess.
Every year I vow to plan sooner. To buy gifts through-out the year. To take more time with the gift-wrapping. Each year comes and goes... and I still haven't made good on my intentions.
I admire those who had their shopping done a month ago and who have time to decorate and have clean houses and perfectly wrapped gifts and entertain guests.
One year in my early 20s, I decided to make cookies. Bad idea. After spending about $80 in ingredients, I ended up only giving out a pathetic plate of 4 or 5 cookies to each person. "Those cookies cost me about $5 each!" I wanted to tell them... and I probably did tell them.
When I was 6 years old I gave my mom a box of love . She opened it up and said, "Shawn, there's nothing in this empty box." I said, "Sure there is! It's a whole box full of love!"
She still has that box. If I had known she would keep it a lifetime, I would have decorated the inside of the box a little bit nicer.
I'm off to the stores for a tiny bit more shopping. And I've procrastinated enough... wishing you all peace and joy.
Merry Christmas.
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8 comments:
You're doing well Shawn... It's 1am on Christmas morning here in England I'm just deciding whether I should start wrapping now or try and slip it in tomorrow while nobody is looking! I'm not lazy... I've spent the whole day cleaning our wreak of a house ready for the relatives to descend tomorrow. Good night and Happy Christmas.
Your shopping and wrapping routine sounds just like mine!....and now it's all over, and we can start our "I'm gonna shop early for next year plan".....ahem...sure ;)
r-d! I so hope you got your much needed sleep and didn't have to honker down and wrap presents while no one was looking. Because I can assure you the moment you start to wrap a gift, is the moment, the person you are wrapping the gift for, will come look for you.
Janet, I appreciate hearing I'm not alone with my shopping and wrapping routine. Let me know when you start christmas shopping... so I can begin then, too!
And Merry Christmas to you Shawn! this comment comes a bit late, but I wouldn't worry tooooo much about the wrapping, it's the gift itself, and the affection that comes with it....I know all of your gifts are generous and heartfelt!
Incidentally, your 20 buck story reminds me of when my dad, being overzealous in burning wrapping paper in the fireplace when we were all opening presents, Uncle Bob had asked me later, "how did you spend your 20?"
"huh?...20?"
Turns out that bill was burned in its envelope...oh well.
OH! I thought I put in a comment but it didn't take!
Ahhhhh...that box of love is just precious. I bet that is one of your moms most treasured gifts. How endearing. Those are the BEST gifts of all.
Well...I'm one of those people that are pro-active with all that stuff. Probably, almost to the point of being irritating!! :) I've got the deco's up at the very start of December...but by the time Christmas is done, I'm sooooo sick of looking at them and am ready to rip em all down the next day.
God love Canada's Boxing Day.
My youngest daughter gave me something similar when she was really young. It was a beautifully decorated box that was sealed shut. She told me it was full of love. I held on to that box through move after move after move. This last move I lost it. I am still hoping that somehow it made it into one of the boxes out in the garage and I just haven't found it yet.
How did your Christmas go? Did you survive?
Oh nooo, Danny! Sorry to hear you were $twenty-less one Christmas. See? My worries of losing a gift wasn't too far-fetched! And,
Doodlestreet (by the way we have the same first name!) I so admire you for being so on the ball with all your christmas decorating! I wish I wasn't such a procrastinator. But. I will think about it tomorrow.
Hi Rayne! I love that you received the same box of love! That box of love isn't really lost to you. It's everywhere. Peek inside any box. See? Filled with love.
You are beautiful.
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