When we were in grade school, my youngest sister had a classmate – maybe in 3^rd grade. He and his siblings knew where their mom hid their Christmas gifts. One day, when she was gone, they raided the room, delighted to find all of the gifts they had requested were stashed, waiting to be wrapped and put under their Christmas tree. Their parents returned every single gift, leaving them with no gifts. They had a very disappointing Christmas.

That story – the truth – was used every year when our children were young. We had a little house and not many places to hide gifts. But my kids were terrified that they would meet the same fate. As a result, it was very easy for us to keep the gifts secure, away from curious eyes. To our knowledge, our kids never found their gifts in advance. It was a very effective way to be sure our gifts were not discovered. They were terrified to open our closets as the holidays drew near. And birthdays too!

This holiday season I hope you are blessed with the gifts of love, family and furry friends, for those are the gifts that should never be hidden!

Merry Christmas!