Tinsel and bows

You've got to hand it to Martha. Her take on gift wrapping is quite inventive and often uses resources that are readily available. And even eco-friendly. After all, who doesn't love a beautifully wrapped gift under the tree? I sure used to. Until the gifts were opened and the wrapping paper was all over the floor and stuffed into big green trash bags. Then onto the landfills and wastes and dumps. There was a time I spent as much time decorating and accessorizing a gift as I did selecting the gift itself. The outside was as pretty as what was on the inside.

As I become comfortable in my own skin, I focus less on the packaging. After all, the wrapping has wrinkled and the package isn't as sturdy as it once was. When all the focus is on the exterior, we begin to miss what truly counts - what's on the inside of all those lovely trimmings? What is the substance underneath the glitz? Is the gift sincere? Honest? Will it stand the test of time? What is the value, the true worth?

So often that excitement over the packaging overshadows the product, the "crux of the biscuit", the core, the marrow. We miss the true gift, one that has taken years to develop. The true gift of Christmas doesn't come in a box. In comes from reaching out a hand to another in a gesture of kindness and goodwill. It comes from the heart. And asks to be returned.

www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/wrap-it-up