It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.

Ahhhh Christmas Eve.  One of my very favorite days in all the year.  Ever since the kids were little, we have saved Christmas Eve as a special day just for us.  We don't visit our family or have an elaborate dinner someplace else or have friends over.  Christmas Eve is for us and us alone.  It is a day to simply enjoy life.  A day to be grateful for all that we are given and all that brings joy to our lives.  Early this morning we opened our gifts to one another.  We like to do that on Christmas Eve so that our most thoughtful gifts that were meticulously made for one another do not become lost in the myriad of wrappings and bows. I don't think I have ever made it through an entire Christmas Eve without my heart overflowing with love and a bit of sentimental tears flowing down my face, and once again, this Christmas was no exception. The first present I opened was from my younger daughter.  She wrote me a lovely letter full of thanks and love and included 2 small charms that fit together like a puzzle.  I am to choose one, and she is to keep the other so that we each have a piece of each other when she goes off to college. Then my younger daughter opened her present from my older daughter and my older daughter made her a "sister" page for her scrapbook. It was full of little sister charms and had all the things that she loves about her. I was full of tears before I even started to read all the wonderful things she wrote.  Then my younger daughter gave my older daughter a similar gift full of inspiration and the things that made my younger daughter look up to her older sister. The rest of our gifts were all very similar.  Every single year that my husband and I have been together - even before we were married - he writes a small poem to me and puts it in a keepsake Christmas box. I open and read my poem from him every Christmas Eve. Mr. Yesteryear Acres summarizes all the wonderful things the year has brought us and then goes on to write about all the wonderful things that still await us. Every single poem is a gift for my heart. I now have 25 poems in my Christmas box. 25 beautiful memories of love and joy. To me that box IS Christmas.  My wish for all of my dear friends and beloved family members, is that your Christmas also doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. Merry Christmas to you and to those you love. May you be completely be wrapped in the joy and love of a beautiful Christmas.