The Gift Box
One year for Christmas when I was a little girl, I received a box wrapped in pretty pink flower paper. It wasn’t in traditional Christmas wrappings. I opened the box, and it was empty except for a piece of paper with a poem printed on it. The gift was from my dad. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think of this gift. Dad gifts were always special because mom tended to take care of everything. Dad was busy working twelve hours a day to make sure the family had what it needed to thrive. As a child we tend to undervalue the effort of working parents. It’s not until we become parents that we can truly appreciate the work it takes to raise a family. The poem was about an empty box, but the box wasn’t empty; it was full of love. Love can’t always be seen, but it can surely be felt. It wasn’t store bought; it was something he took the time to create. Christmas comes with the stress of buying. We buy and spend money thinking that gifts will show our love, but honestly, love cannot be purchased in a store. Yes, I like to buy Christmas gifts and I still do. However, the most meaningful gifts have always been the creative, recycled, homemade, time visiting, and simple acts done out of love.
I always bring a selflove project into every retreat I host. This last retreat I shared the empty box of love gift. Everyone wrote a love letter, something they would want to hear on a day that perhaps was challenging for them. They picked their own beautifully wrapped box and placed their letter inside it. Through-out the weekend the boxes were filled and placed together. At the conclusion of the retreat, everyone picked a box of love that was not theirs. We all experience the same emotions and need to hear positive affirmations. We need to be told that we are loved and perfect, just as we are. We need encouragement and support. We all have fear, sadness, frustration, and feel lonely from time-to-time. The instructions were to take your box home and wait until a day that you need to be uplifted and then open it. The love inside will take you back to the retreat, back to a time of high vibration and remind you that you are loved. That box was and is the container of unseen love. I’d love to peak into the moment when everyone opens their boxes. I have one too. Just looking at brings me comfort. I haven’t opened it yet… but I know it’s there when I need it.
Perhaps this is a simple idea you can do for Christmas this year. A small box wrapped and full of love. Write a love letter or come up with your own unique poem. Instructions: Open when you feel blue.
