The gift not yet opened, 2016
Hello everyone. Since I won’t be doing a Christmas tree this year, I thought I’d feature a photo of one from past years. If you have decorated a tree this year, feel free to send a photo to defeatdespair@verizon.net, and I’ll post it here. I hope you are finding some moments to enjoy this festive season. May you experience childlike excitement at the possibility of a literal or figurative gift not yet opened. ** Scroll down to see some other unique and lovely Christmas trees shared by readers!
Our Christmas tree, 2011
“The most splendid Christmas gift, the most marveled and magic, is the gift that has not yet been opened. Opaque behind wrapping or winking foil, it is a box full of possibilities…Often what precedes is better than what follows, even when, like Christmas Day, what follows is good.” — Gregg Easterbrook
As with other happy events, the anticipation that builds during the holiday season is often just as exciting (or more so) than the day itself. As the old saying goes, “getting there is half the fun.” If the stress of shopping, baking, wrapping and decorating has you undone, try slowing down long enough to actually savor the tasks themselves. Perhaps it will help if we think of the future as a gift not yet opened. Rather than focusing on what irritates or worries us, let’s enjoy the wonder of the present, and the hope for beautiful things that may lie ahead.
Sue’s Christmas tree, 2016
A friend gave Susan this feather tree for her new apartment.
Jena’s miniature tree
Patricia sends her Christmas greetings to us, along with a photo of her glowing tree.
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: anticipation, Christmas, Christmas Tree, gifts, wonder
Defeat Despair 
Yea I got a ten dollar -miniature – Leyland Cypress or Emerald something at Home Depot and put some Dollar Store lights on it. I will try and send a a pict. Not much room in the Apartment/ Town house. These you can stick in the ground for later.
MY UR message it out today.
Mike, that sounds wonderful! Maybe I should take that approach next year. Rather than NO Christmas tree, re-cast my idea of what fits my life now.
Thank you for sharing all those Christmas trees!
This year again, I have only the feather tree. We had a change of Christmas plans, so I skipped decorating again.
I pray your Christmas is Calm and Bright this year!
Susan, it was indeed both calm and bright…largely owing to my skipping decorating and other festivities! Wonderful how life’s rewards are so varied and adaptable.