“Gather around children, gather around. No pushing, no shoving, no pulling pigtails, there's enough room for everyone. I am so glad we have the opportunity to meet today, because I have something truly wonderful to tell you, something that is full of Christmas magic.

“I know, I know, you have no clue who or what I am, and I suppose that is to be expected. You probably never heard a story from a present before.

“What's that? Oh no, young Jennifer, not present as in right now and not to be confused with past or future. I am a present, as in a gift. Everyone loves gifts, don't they?”

“That's what I thought. Now, what you may not have known is that all presents have a story. It's just usually those stories are boring and no one really wants to hear them. Little Johnny wanted a bike, so his dad bought him a bike and put a ribbon around it. Ho-hum if you ask me.

“My story is far from ho-hum though. Oh, it is full of the magic that makes Christmas the greatest time of year for little boys and little girls and I simply can't wait to be opened on Christmas day..”

“What's that? Of course I haven't been opened yet. Once a present has been opened, it is no longer a gift, it becomes property and no one ever sings songs about property under the tree.

“Okay children, I want you to close your eyes and use your imagination. Oh don't be silly, read a head a bit and then go back an imagine, I know you can't read a story with your eyes closed.”

“I am a present. I am long and wide, but not very tall. If you shook me you wouldn't hear a thing at all, not even what was inside me rattling against the edge of the box. Some Christmas gifts are wrapped in red wrapping paper with green trees, and others have blue wrapping paper with white snowmen. There are presents with ribbons and there are presents with bows, and almost all of us have name tags. But I don't have red wrapping paper with green trees and I don't have blue wrapping paper with white snowmen either. I have shiny pink wrapping paper with a shiny silver ribbon that is tied in a big bow right on top of me. Among all the other gifts, I definitely stand out the most and that is on purpose, because I am the most important gift of all this year.

“No, no, I'm not be immodest. When I tell you my story you will understand. You see, I am a very special gift, to a very special child. I am a gift for a person who doesn't even realize that others know that she exist and she didn't even realize she had a name.

“I am certainly not a gift for a baby, but that was a good guess Bailey. The girl who I am a gift for is almost 7 years old. I know it doesn't make sense yet, I haven't explained it yet. You see, this is a very special girl, because up until now, nobody knew she was a girl.

“That's just being plain silly and you can't simply go around giving people baths to know if they are a boy or a girl. Besides, there are some special girls, and some special boys who's wrapping paper and bows say one thing, but they are entirely different on the inside. I don't understand it myself, and it's not important to understand it anyway, just accept that it is and your life will be filled with a lot less stress.

“The girl's name is Francine. It is a very pretty name, the name of her grandmother. Her learning her name is one of the parts of me that her parents are giving her. When Francine was born, the doctors played a very mean trick on her and her parents. They told everyone that she was a boy, and what was worse was everyone believed them. Even Francine believed them, though she had her doubts that she kept to herself.

“Knowing that doctors go to school for a very long time and figuring that they must be very smart, Francine's parents assumed they knew what they were talking about when they said Francine was a boy and named her Glenn. Glenn isn't a bad name, but it certainly isn't a name a pretty girl goes around wearing.

“So, for seven years Francine's parents believed what the doctors and the world told them, that they had a son. That is, until their eyes were opened to the truth a few weeks ago. The truth is a good thing to know, but it is a wonderful thing to act upon.

“You see, Francine has a younger cousin who got to be in a beauty pageant. Her mother was quite surprised when her child was so interested in the comings and goings of such an affair, but didn't give it too much thought. Nope, not too much thought at all, until they went dress shopping that is. It was there that her mother realized that Francine was there, right in front of her eyes all along. From then on, mom paid close attention to her child and when all the evidence was gathered, the conclusion was irrefutable.

“There were quite a few conversations between mom and dad how to handle this tender situation. A lot of talking that didn't include Francine's input directly. They didn't do it to be mean, but they wanted to be absolutely sure that they went about everything the right way.

“That is where I come in. Not only do I get to tell Francine what her name is, I also do something that is very special to girls who are like her. I get to let Francine know that she is loved and accepted for who she is, and that really is the best gift of all, isn't it.”

“What's that? What's inside me? It really isn't proper to let others in on the surprise before the recipient gets to see, but I guess I can make an exception because you have all been so well behaved. As soon as Francine unties the bow and saves the ribbon, and after she carefully removes the paper so she can share the memory of me for a long time, she will see a white garment box. Inside that box is a fancy pink and white dress that is just perfect for a little girl to wear on Christmas day, one that Francine eyed for quite a while while her mother and aunt were shopping for her cousin.

“Do I think she'll like it? I think she will be thrilled. But the real gift isn't the dress, nor is it the name. The real gift, the thing that is most important and can't be wrapped, is that when she sees and opens me, Francine will know that she is loved for who she really is. And that, boys and girls, is the greatest gift ever.

Author's note: All I can say is that I tried. I guess this is the place that I find myself. I hope you don't mind tolerating me for a few more days.