We’ve all read the articles and books about how to simplify the Holidays. I actually tried many of the helpful suggestions, yet I still found myself fretting over the hunt for the perfect gift for that special someone.
And, what if, when I found that perfect gift, the price tag far exceeded my holiday budget? Well, I’d often get it anyway, rationalizing that I would spend less on some other gift, so it would average out. Funny how that rarely happened! Come January I groaned when I opened the credit card bills.
This year I notice a definite shift in my search for the perfect gift. Maybe it’s because I am now of an age when I look back on many holiday gift-giving experiences, and I’ve gained a new perspective. Maybe it’s because I look around me at the many years of material accumulation and realize that no one needs another candleholder or electric drill or toy piano that plays by itself.
What we do all need is love, kindness, and appreciation for who we are. As I look at the names on my giving list, I wonder how I can honor each beloved person with a gift from my heart. What come to mind are gifts of time and experience, or handmade, rather than manufactured goods from China or Japan. A friend, who liked my ideas, shared her list that looks something like this:
Husband: Coupons for massages from me
Tickets for two to the theatre with dinner
Son: Tickets to his favorite pro basketball team’s game
Daughter & Son-in-law: A night of babysitting and dinner at their favorite restaurant
Grandson: A fort made by me out of a huge cardboard box
A trip to the zoo with a train ride
Brother & Sister-in-law: Coupons for a dinner for four at their favorite restaurant
Niece & Nephew-in-law: Wine from a local, organic vineyard
Grandniece: A collection of travel toys that I assembled from the hardware store
Aunt: A rose bush and a day of working with her in her garden
Friends: Handmade note cards
Hand-stenciled prayer flags to hang in their gardens
Flower seeds collected from my garden
Blank books made from recycled materials
Book club members: Handmade bookmarks made from a collage of book covers from books that we have read together
Hair Stylist, etc.: Homemade, organic granola bars
I figure that this list of gifts cuts my previous holiday spending in half, and my joy in the giving increases by at least that much. How wonderful to spend time thinking of each person, really noticing what is meaningful to him or her, finding how we might spend time together, or creating a gift that touches their heart and makes them smile. That’s a Holiday gift to remember!
