When I told an MSIA friend that I was going to be a wrapper at MSIA’s Living In Grace, she solemnly shook my hand and said, “Thank you very, very much for doing this.” I had similar reactions from other MSIA’ers. I’d heard the wrapping role at Living In Grace was associated with hard work, long hours, working around the clock, and not being in the training room.
Having been a participant in Living in Grace for years, I loved the training. Just being around the energy felt like it would be plenty for me. I was willing to do whatever it took to be at LIG as an assistant. I indicated on my application that I was willing to do anything, including being on the wrapping team. Maybe I hadn’t really thought that one through.
I have a confession to make. Prior to Living In Grace, I was what could politely be termed a novice wrapper. I told myself, as I looked at my torn and refolded wrapping paper and retaped seams, that it was the gift that counted, not the wrapping. Those who received my gifts were kind, they kept their wrapping comments to themselves. When I discovered a few years back that I could put a gift with tissue paper into a nice bag, I was grateful, and decided to leave the wrapping experience to more skilled wrappers.
My application to assist got accepted, with it the assignment to be on the wrapping team. A Seattle resident, I focused on packing for the training. I came to Asilomar, the training setting as planned, a day early, to assist with setup. Arriving at wrapping headquarters, my fellow wrappers were jubilant. Wrapping headquarters was now housed down the hill from the training, the new room light and airy, with floor to ceiling picture windows affording a grand view of grounds and eventual sunsets. Wrapping materials beckoned invitingly, colorfully organized by category and type. There were gorgeous, patterned tissue papers, shining colored gift bags, and a medley of sparkling adornments to rival any department store professional wrapping section. Each of us was assigned our very own wrapping “station,” with comfortable chair and ample working space. My team members, all seasoned wrappers, oohhed and aahhed. It was wrappers’ paradise.
As we settled in, Carol, our team captain, had us set an intention to finish each evening by midnight. I admit I was dubious. Carol then suggested we “play” with the materials, to get familiar with them. Looking at the sea of colored ribbons, bags, boxes, and wrapping ornaments, I froze. Once I could no longer pretend to survey ornaments, I plucked a small pull-string gift bag from its bin, and tentatively decorated it with tiny, gold ornamental branches. A team member critiquing my creation mentioned that our gifts needed to look professionally wrapped. My inner alarms sounded. Carol critiqued more of my wrapped samples, suggesting I rewrap them. We were reminded that bins would start arriving soon, laden with gifts to be wrapped. I remembered my favorite episode of I Love Lucy, the one with Lucy at the chocolate factory. In worry mode, instead of dwelling on Lucy stuffing chocolates in her bra, I thought about Lucy getting fired from her chocolate wrapping job. Somehow this wrapping rookie needed to warp speed to Living in Grace-standard wrapper. From where I stood, I had no clue how to get there.
Wrapping training intensified, as what seemed like nuances emerged in materials use, aesthetics, and design considerations. The list of considerations felt overwhelming to me. I remembered how thrilled I’d been in years past with my wrapped gifts, how just looking at them stirred my soul. Yet, the more I tried to remember and follow what I had been taught, the worse things got. It wasn’t looking good for this wrapper.
At the next morning’s team meeting, I declared my heart’s desire, “I would like to close the gap between my imagination, my willingness and my intention, to come together in my wrapping results.” A team member cracked, “I hope your imagination’s good.” I returned to my wrapping station. I prayed and seeded. The afternoon arrived and with it, more critiques. I prayed more fervently. At my most despairing moment, I was summoned to the scarf section of the LIG store. Scarves were familiar, I had spent days at one Conference arranging and selling scarves. Back in my comfort zone, as I surveyed the bright rows of oblong wool and rabbit fur, I felt my joy, love of service and sense of competence coming back. I realized that in my concerns, I had lost the essence of why I was serving. All I knew was, whatever the future held, I needed to take my love and devotion in arranging scarves back to the wrapping room.
I started by making my wrapping bigger, bolder. I resolved to have fun and express my creativity. As I wrapped for the next few hours, the critiques kept coming. I responded to each with, “Thank you, that’s really valid, and I’m playing.” In the early evening, one of my team members complimented a gift I had wrapped and called our team captain over. Her response was positive. That evening, Carol announced to me and the group, “I think you’re going to make it as a wrapper.” My heart soared.
The next day, we went on the beach walk. As I strolled with fellow wrapper Jennifer, we shouted in glee to the sandy area and all within earshot, “Look, we’re wrappers, here we are!” We plotted how to debunk the myths around the wrapping role.
Each night after dinner, I returned to the wrapping room. With its big picture windows and bright lights, wrapping headquarters stood out, glowing in the distance. Carol, Diane, Jen, and I shared what we bought, our wrapping bonanzas, and parts of our lives. Wrapping elves, as we nicknamed ourselves, we also often worked silently, listening to the training, as we paced ourselves, snipping and molding designs. When the bins started piling up, to our deep gratitude, other assistants pitched in. One night, the Traveler stopped in to see us. That was sweet.
I used to wonder how wrappers did it. Now I know. There is indeed a Mystical Traveler Wrapping School. It is a place of Grace, from which can emerge amazing colors and wrapping concoctions. It is a place where the most disheartened wrappers can come and emerge joyful creators. The wrapping room holds special energy, and the hours and days fly. From my experience, if you work all night during Living In Grace, you’re in Soul Travel, not the wrapping room. We never worked past midnight. Wrapping is creatively juicy and energizing, and the team is extraordinary. I came home to Seattle from LIG feeling expanded, complete, free, and with a new skill set. It’s been a well-kept wrapper secret that wrapping is one of the choice assisting jobs at Living In Grace. Now you know.
Postscript: Several days ago, I gave my 83 year old mother a belated Chanukah gift. She said, “This is too beautiful to unwrap.” It’s been two days, and she still hasn’t unwrapped her gift. She finally agreed to unwrap the gift, if I would rewrap the package, so she could keep looking at it. I call that progress. Baruch Bashan.
