A Beautiful Gift

The other day I was with my mom and we saw a quote that said "The present is a gift. Untie the ribbons." My mom immediately began to praise the quote, saying how much she loved it. I, on the other hand, secretly scoffed at the saying. "Untie the ribbons", I thought.. "that's a stupid saying." But over the Christmas break I found myself thinking and thinking about those 'stupid' words.  I grew to love them once I understood them. In my life and in the lives of many others, we are all waiting for the next big thing. That super cool vacation, graduation, marriage, a house and family of our own. Some are just looking forward to the weekend. The result? We miss what is right in front of our faces. In reality, we have no choice but to live, at least physically, in the present. It is impossible to do otherwise. Why, then, do we torture ourselves by trying to go back mentally to the past or skip to the future?

I have found that often we do not realize what we have until it is no longer within our grasp. Friends grow apart. Some move away. Ideas change, beliefs change, people change. If the world were to slow down and understand that ALL there is is the present, wouldn't they strive to see the beauty of it? There will always be another tomorrow. But once a day is gone, you can never relive it. It only lives on in your mind and in your heart, soon fading away amidst all the other days of your life. THAT is why the present is a gift. Because every day is beautiful. If only everyone were to see that, the world would be a better place. Instead of trying to find a bigger and better present, untie the ribbons on today and discover the treasures that lie within the wrappings. Because I know that they are there for everyone, just waiting to be found. The present is a gift. Untie the ribbons.