December can be a long month. The greyness makes the days drag. The busyness can wear us out. And the anticipation for Christmas, with family gatherings and gift giving has some of us counting the days with impatience.

Patience was what I wanted to explore with the children in church during this month. The themes of Advent are anticipation--of God's gifts and the child's birth--and having to wait for transformation that is not yet here. For the conversation with them, I went with a box within a box within a box.

Each week we've opened a box and found inside---another box. They've started to expect this now. The 22nd is the last Sunday before Christmas, so maybe this week there won't just be a box inside. One pointed out that there would be air, but what else is a guess.

Actually, each week, as well as another box, there was a hand-made tree ornament tied to it. Each of these was a symbol of the theme that week: a candle for hope, an angel for peace, a Christmas tree for joy. We got something each week as well as having to wait for whatever will be in the last box.

But as I planned this story, I imagined the children ripping the wrapping paper off the box. I did not like that picture. So much of the gift giving traditions of Christmas get wasteful. We put a lot of pretty paper into landfill each year.

I wanted the boxes to look pretty. However, to get 4 sizes of boxes, they were pretty makeshift. They had to be wrapped. So, I wrapped them in a way that would let them be tied with ribbon and reused in the future. With the box with a lid, that was quite easy. With the three that had flaps to fold in, it was a bit more complicated. I managed, though one side is a little rough looking. That side can face away from the people.

Tying them shut with ribbon also worked as it gave me something to attach the ornaments with. And lifting the flaps on the boxes one at a time added to the suspense. When open, the boxes are still wrapped, so sitting at the front of the church, they still look quite nice. And I can use them again, maybe even for this Christmas.

I am thinking I will take the time to do the same with the packages I have to wrap for family at home. I do have gift bags, some of which have been used for several years now. But I have boxes too, and I might be able to perfect the technique I developed for wrapping the flaps and the box.

There are patterns we are so used to that we don't think twice. I've wrapped gifts with paper. When we get to the gift exchange, I have a garbage bag handy. But we need to change our habits to address climate change and waste. This time, I let the picture of ripping open presents in church challenge my long-standing pattern. That picture made me try something new.

Some things we can't wait for. We need to make changes now to shift the carbon trajectory that we are on. Other things we do have to wait for. The clock and the calendar can't be rushed. Learning patience, learning to enjoy anticipation, are good skills to build. Distinguishing what we should wait for and what needs urgent attention takes wisdom. And making change means thinking about the boxes in a new way.

Cathy Hird lives on the shore of Georgian Bay.