#1299 best gift ever

I was recently featured in the Best Christmas Gift Ever story in our local paper.  Readers were asked to contribute reflections on what constituted their best gift, and I wrote in about a nativity set my family made me during my senior year in college.

The family worked on it while I was away at school, and presented it to me "for all the Christmases to come", knowing this would likely be the last year I lived at home. It is truly a treasure.

The figures, animals and manger were wrapped in a giant box, and everyone anxiously gathered around when I opened it. They had strategically wrapped it so that all I saw when I opened the box was the star.  As you can tell by the photo below, the star does not look like a star out of context, and I was quite worried that my reaction would not be as positive as they were anticipating.  Of course, once I saw the full contents, that was not the case.

I think the irregular star could be a metaphor for many other gifts that will be given this holiday. If you look at what is literally there in front of you, it may not be thrilling.  Try to look past that and be warmed by the love and thoughtfulness that emanates from the giver.  

-- beth triplett
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