One present we were given yesterday remained unopened this morning. This was not an oversight, it was unopened on purpose. I know the friend who gave us this present would have spent as much time organising the wrapping as she did deciding on what to give us so I wanted to appreciate the final product for a bit longer.
I particularly loved the little gift card that came with this present. There was something familiar about the image on the card. It reminded me of when I was a child and I used to collect stickers. These were not the adhesive variety of stickers you get today.
When I was a young girl stickers came in sheets where each sticker was connected by a small tab of paper. In many ways these sticker sheets looked a bit like pieces lace. We would separate each sticker by carefully ripping or cutting the tiny tabs connecting them. The aim was to not to rip or damage the delicate stickers in any way. Most of us would then store our sticker collection in a box or tin. Swapping stickers was a favourite activity my friends and I engaged in. The stickers would be all sorts of different shapes and sizes. These stickers were our treasures. I wonder what happened to my collection?
The image of the frogs on the gift card could have been a sticker. Each frog could have been a sticker. The smattering of glitter, the colours, the textures, that layout – I was so easily, and quickly, transported back in time.
And hidden beneath the wrapping lay a personal message of inspiration and motivation to pursue a dream I’ve had for a while – to prepare a family cookbook full of stories associated with the recipes.
The thought behind every aspect of this gift did not go unnoticed because I chose to take the time to notice. All too often in the hustle and bustle of every day we can forget that the gifts we give one another are so much more than the tangible something that is handed over in the form of a present. The gift is the person behind the present.
Manifesto
06. Every day you make choices.
17. Every day look through a new lens.
34. Every day focus on your dreams.
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