Many years ago, our next door neighbor for 12 years, Diane Conlan, shared a story with us. She didn’t know its author, but we will always credit and remember our special friend for sending it our way. Many times over the past 15 years, we’ve printed the story, rolled it up to fit inside a small tube and covered it with gold wrapping paper to share with others.
For many reasons this holiday season, the joyful message of the gold wrapping paper seems to be more poignant than when it was first received.
Gold Wrapping Paper
As the story goes, a mother punished her 5-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper on Christmas Eve. Money was tight and she expressed her anger when she noticed the child had used the gold wrapping paper to decorate a large box that she’d put under the Christmas tree.
The following Christmas morning, the little girl enthusiastically placed the golden gift box by her mother and said, “This present is for you, Momma.”
The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over-reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found that it appeared to be empty.
“Don’t you know, young lady!” admonished her mother. “When you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside the package.”
With big tears in her eyes, the little girl said, “Oh, but Momma, it’s not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full.”
The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her child , begging forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.
For all of us with big dreams and material wants, our needs are so simple and basic. Hugs, kindness, words of encouragement and time—filled with good wishes, joy and God’s love— can help us face life’s difficult challenges.
In a very real sense, each of us has been given a golden gift filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family and friends. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
Consider the golden box filled with blown kisses and unconditional love this holiday season. Imagine it’s overflowing with hopes and dreams for certain prosperity and a better tomorrow. God bless us every one.
Merry Christmas!
—Author Unknown
While visions of sugar plums dance in the heads of young children, eager for images of a giving Santa Claus to make his journey around the world, this story from a longtime neighbor has been edited with love, mindful of life’s miracles with encouragement to remember the message of this story every day. Here’s to an attitude of gratitude with a healthful and happy New Year.
Kindness in Naperville / Launched January 2011 Join a grassroots initiative to promote good-natured civility. Peace.
—Positively Naperville
