Anticipation

Anticipation is the first present.

Before I ever open that big box in my kitchen I will shake it and thump it. I will read the return address and my name on the front. I will even try to lift it up and see how heavy it is.

I will go online again and again, looking at my wish list, trying to figure out if it could be one of those things. I will look them up and anticipate what I would do if I got them.

Eventually I have to peek inside. Just a quick peek, but it is enough to see this box contains something I didn't dare to dream of.

Now I am really excited. The anticipation is nearly killing me. I want to know all about it, so I try looking online again, but there are so many choices it really doesn't help.

I am enjoying this gift so much I can't imagine what it will be like when I actually take it out of the box and get to see it for real -- and set it up -- and play with it.

Each stage has its own anticipation to savor. I can stretch it out and out and out until it is actually my birthday.