When I was charged with doing a write up about gift giving for the holiday season I had originally planned to scope out some cool gifts that could be given to family and friends. As I started to do some research and visit some of our wonderful local stores I started to think a little deeper. Receiving gifts is special, it can show how well someone knows us or show us how much someone cares. But I was looking back over my life and thinking about the gifts I had been given and I really couldn’t think of any that out-shined the moments I had with the people who gave them to me. Realizing that getting to spend time with the people who we care about most and who care about us is the greatest gift that can be given.
If gift giving is apart of your love language, then gifts will be inevitable, but you can give differently than you have previously. A physical gift is still a wonderful way to show love. If you are going to give a classic kind of gift, then keep in mind shopping local and up cycling. Second hand shops, like Second Run Consignment are a great way to give a special gift while also helping the planet by not adding more waste. Around the corner from Second Run, Houghton Hill up-cycles knick knacks and home decor that might have once been trashed but now can be perfect for your loved ones who love nostalgia and finding that perfect piece.
The kind of gift I would recommend giving most though, would be a gift that gives time. Maybe you could gift a loved one a drop in yoga class or a trial run at your gym. You guys could go together and strengthen your bodies and your love. Maybe you could plan an evening doing something put on locally and turn the time spent together in to a memory that will last forever.
I believe that the holiday season was meant to bring joy and was meant as a time for our gratitude to take center stage. So instead, focus on what we already have in this world, and how lucky we are that we get to spend our time here with such incredible people.
