The Perfect Present
(Thought I'd share a holiday article I wrote a couple of years ago for a LDS women's ezine.)
I have spent the past few weeks thinking about and preparing for Christmas. In this, there has been more than one trip to the local thrift store to donate broken or unused toys and items from my home—things that in the past seemed to have been the “perfect present.”
Perhaps at the moment they were perfect; however, their time or need has passed. As I am cleaning house to prepare room for the new “perfect presents” I do so with new
perspective. Yes, there will be toys for my four young girls and electronics for my teenage son under the tree, but this year I will focus more on my “presence” than my “presents.”
Let me explain. Over the past year or two the Lord has been teaching me the value of the “perfect present.” As life seems to get busier and busier, I often go from one thing to the next as quickly as I can. Too often I feel like I’m playing the old game show “Beat the Clock.” There is no longer an unscheduled moment of my day. I have come to realize from visiting with other woman how many of us feel this way. Between our varied roles of wives, mothers, good neighbors and friends, and adding in careers, church service, and extended family commitments—life can at times seem like a blur. Our days can become a constant checklist of items to be accomplished—and with Christmas upon us, the to-do list grows exponentially! It is easy for living to become almost robotic, lacking meaning and purpose.
I have come to know that for life in general (and especially at busy times like the holidays) that the “perfect present” is not a material item at all. The “perfect present” is our being present. It is being “plugged” into the moment. It is allowing ourselves to be not only physically present, but also mentally or spiritually present for each moment as well. Yes, in the past I have been physically present for many occasions and moments, but mentally or spiritually I have been somewhere else. Because I was not fully engaged, I have missed out on imprinting precious memories in a more deep and meaningful way.
My children actually were the first to help me understand this habit I’d developed. They absolutely know when I am fully present when they are asking for advice, telling me about their day at school, or showing me an artistic creation, etc. Once my oldest daughter turned an imaginary dial to remind me to tune in—like one must tune into a radio station for clear enjoyment.
How many times have I dropped off a loaf of bread to a neighbor, or made a visit to a woman from church without being truly tuned in or present? Yes, I have been able to check that next item off my to-do list, but I have missed out on making a more clear—even dear—memory.
Just as a plug must be securely pushed in or engaged in an outlet for electric current to flow—giving power, we must also be plugged into our moments. Not only will they be more powerful for us, but also for any others involved who are plugged into the moment. There is no more “perfect present” for ourselves or for those around us than to be truly present. The holidays offer such opportunities to build wonderful memories. Let’s focus on being fully present. It is the “perfect present.”
I have spent the past few weeks thinking about and preparing for Christmas. In this, there has been more than one trip to the local thrift store to donate broken or unused toys and items from my home—things that in the past seemed to have been the “perfect present.”
Perhaps at the moment they were perfect; however, their time or need has passed. As I am cleaning house to prepare room for the new “perfect presents” I do so with new
perspective. Yes, there will be toys for my four young girls and electronics for my teenage son under the tree, but this year I will focus more on my “presence” than my “presents.”
Let me explain. Over the past year or two the Lord has been teaching me the value of the “perfect present.” As life seems to get busier and busier, I often go from one thing to the next as quickly as I can. Too often I feel like I’m playing the old game show “Beat the Clock.” There is no longer an unscheduled moment of my day. I have come to realize from visiting with other woman how many of us feel this way. Between our varied roles of wives, mothers, good neighbors and friends, and adding in careers, church service, and extended family commitments—life can at times seem like a blur. Our days can become a constant checklist of items to be accomplished—and with Christmas upon us, the to-do list grows exponentially! It is easy for living to become almost robotic, lacking meaning and purpose.
I have come to know that for life in general (and especially at busy times like the holidays) that the “perfect present” is not a material item at all. The “perfect present” is our being present. It is being “plugged” into the moment. It is allowing ourselves to be not only physically present, but also mentally or spiritually present for each moment as well. Yes, in the past I have been physically present for many occasions and moments, but mentally or spiritually I have been somewhere else. Because I was not fully engaged, I have missed out on imprinting precious memories in a more deep and meaningful way.
My children actually were the first to help me understand this habit I’d developed. They absolutely know when I am fully present when they are asking for advice, telling me about their day at school, or showing me an artistic creation, etc. Once my oldest daughter turned an imaginary dial to remind me to tune in—like one must tune into a radio station for clear enjoyment.
How many times have I dropped off a loaf of bread to a neighbor, or made a visit to a woman from church without being truly tuned in or present? Yes, I have been able to check that next item off my to-do list, but I have missed out on making a more clear—even dear—memory.
Just as a plug must be securely pushed in or engaged in an outlet for electric current to flow—giving power, we must also be plugged into our moments. Not only will they be more powerful for us, but also for any others involved who are plugged into the moment. There is no more “perfect present” for ourselves or for those around us than to be truly present. The holidays offer such opportunities to build wonderful memories. Let’s focus on being fully present. It is the “perfect present.”
