🎁 WHY A GIFT OF GRATITUDE AND ANTICIPATION

Invisible Gifts

Dear WHY Team member,

Thinking of you during this very special time of year.

Christmas has a unique way of drawing our hearts into both reflection and anticipation—a delicate dance between gratitude for what has been and excitement for what is to come. This season, as we wrap gifts and gather around tables, let us also wrap ourselves in the warmth of what we have already received, while allowing our hearts to open toward the hope of what lies ahead.

In the hustle of the holidays, it’s easy to measure this time by what is visible: the decorated trees, the twinkling lights, the wrapped presents. But often, the most meaningful moments are found in what is invisible—a quiet gratitude, a lingering hug, the laughter that echoes long after the moment has passed. These are the gifts we carry with us, long after the bows have been untied and the ornaments have been put away.

Yes, we have so much for which to be thankful. Consider all that this year has brought: the lessons learned, the challenges faced, the victories—big and small. Even the difficulties can be seen as gifts, wrapped in disguise. As C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” How often do we find, in looking back, that even our setbacks were shaping us for something better? And how much more is yet to be written in the chapters ahead?

As we prepare to enter a new year, it’s natural to feel a mix of emotions—joy for the present, nostalgia for the past, and perhaps a touch of uncertainty for what’s next. But anticipation has its own quiet magic. It’s the belief that, no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve faced, there is still something wonderful waiting on the horizon. The light of Christmas reminds us that hope is ever-present—even in the darkest night, a star can shine brightly.

I was recently reminded of a powerful story—one that has always struck a chord in my heart. A man had spent years building a beautiful garden, a place of peace and beauty that he shared with all who visited. Yet one winter, a brutal storm destroyed much of his work. For days, he stood in the wreckage, overwhelmed by the loss. But as the snow began to melt, he noticed something small and extraordinary: a single green shoot breaking through the frozen ground. In that moment, he realized that all was not lost. Life was still there—quietly growing, waiting to bloom again. The destruction had given way to new beginnings.

So this Christmas, let us reflect with gratitude on the year that has been—for the people who stood by us, the challenges that strengthened us, and the blessings that surrounded us, often unnoticed. And let us look forward with hope and excitement for the year to come. There are new memories to be made, new opportunities to embrace, and new ways to give of ourselves.

The greatest gifts are not always the ones wrapped under the tree, but those that come from within: love given freely, forgiveness offered without hesitation, and gratitude shared abundantly.

May this season fill your heart with peace, your days with joy, and your future with hope. Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With gratitude and anticipation,

Steve Luckenbach