The theme of our Toastmasters meeting this week was “Holiday Traditions—the Profound, the Silly, and Everything In Between.”

Our Toastmaster shared a holiday tradition his family practices, which is to give each other gifts you can’t wrap. As soon as he mentioned this, my mind immediately envisioned large or odd-shaped gifts that are difficult to wrap. Or were, before the invention of gift bags.

But that’s not the kind of gift he was talking about.

He explained by telling us first of the grandma who gave her gift of a hug to everyone as soon as she walked in the door. Other gifts that can’t be wrapped included dinners out—or in—or other outings and events that can’t be wrapped up and placed under the tree.

Isn’t that a wonderful idea? Maybe not to take the place of all the gifts we select for our family and friends—the ones that we do wrap and put under the Christmas tree, or send to them if we won’t see them in person over the Christmas holiday. But certainly, gifts that can’t be wrapped can end up being the most appreciated and most memorable gifts we share with each other.

And we don’t have to limit this to the holiday season. Throughout the year, I’m sure most of us could find many occasions—birthdays and anniversaries, as well as times when we want to say “Thank you,” “I’m sorry,” or “I hope you feel better soon”—when gifts that can’t be wrapped can be the most welcome gifts of all.

November 30, 2018
©Betty Liedtke, 2018

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