Not all gifts come wrapped in packages

There was no Christmas tree this year. There were no presents. No pretty packages waiting to be opened Christmas morning. There were no stockings filled with goodies. There was no feast in my oven or guest list to check off. Nothing. If someone had told me that this kind of Christmas would be a season of joy for me, I would have asked them what kind of happy pills they were taking. And then ask for a few.

But, surprisingly, that's the way it turned out. My gifts this year came in the form of people from my past. People who I once loved to the core of my soul. Some of whom I had not seen in over 30 years. Old classmates, old girlfriends, old boyfriends, and even my maid of honor. Never have I been surrounded by people who reveled so deeply in the joy of being together. One more time. Our voices danced and swirled about the old kitchen where we once gathered together all those years ago. It was truly the sound of joy. Repeat...the sound of joy.

I sat Christmas morning in my hotel room, surrounded by the pictures and the memories of that night. It touched me to the center of my being.

Now that I think about it, they were my gifts this year, making it one of my warmest and most loving seasons.