Holiday Joy

Ah, the holidays have almost arrived!

During this time of year, many are rushing about in an attempt to get every gift on their list for loved ones — the latest and greatest in toys, scarves, tech gadgets, candles, books, and wines to hand off to family and friends.

While material gifts are great, what if we were to celebrate our love of giving to others in another way? What if in addition to the toys, we ask our children about an activity they would like to do that would make them happy? What if we asked our significant others what one amazing date would be to them, and then take them on it? What if we asked our brother, sister, mother, or mother-in-law if they would want to spend some time together doing their favorite thing?

In the spirit of giving, we could give others something that holds more value than anything else — our presence, our love, and our undivided attention. Everyone might not want this, but for those that do, it means far more to them than a gift card to a store.

In the daily bustling about in life, we often forget to be fully present around those we love. Sometimes we are only half listening to our husband while we are working on other things, or never call back that friend who mentioned having dinner together. We get caught up in other things and maybe don’t think about our great aunt who is spending most of her days alone. What if, in the spirit of giving, we paid more attention, set those dinner plans in motion, and brought our great aunt a warm meal and sat with her for the rest of the day?

It’s easy to gift our loved ones with material things, but in gifting them with our presence, we are gifting ourselves, as well. Sharing love is a gift for all involved.

We can teach our children to value quality time with others. We can show our spouses that they matter greatly to us — that we want to be part of truly making them happy. We can show our relatives that we think and care about them, too, and can make their day by giving them the love that they deserve.

So in the spirit of the holidays, and in the time of giving, I invite you to try to give a different gift this year — a coupon for one romantic date or a nice massage for your partner, a day at the zoo with your child who has been begging for months, a special dinner with a friend that you’ve lost touch with. Fill your holidays with the most cheer possible by remembering the gift of love.

Happy Holidays to all!