Ahhh! Christmas is coming! I mean, I know that Christmas is coming, it comes the same time every year. It's not like it sneaks up on me, but seriously, why do I always find myself running short of time and money every. single. year? Part of it is planning, but part of it is just life. So, time to pull up my big girl pants and figure it out. Whatever got me to this stressful spot right now doesn't matter, what matters is pulling back from the edge and just GETTING IT DONE.
The appreciation we have for others is not necessarily in the gift, it is in the act of giving. Expressing appreciation for people that are important to us or our family can have an almost magical affect on the giver as well as the receiver. One year, we had no money for gifts. I mean flat broke no money. And yet, I still had all of these people that I wanted to give something to during this season of giving. After crying about it for a while, I decided to invest $2 in a couple of packages of cards at the dollar store and I sat down to write. Instead of giving the coach another Star Bucks card, I wrote him a note telling him how much I appreciated all of the time he volunteers to mentor our kids. I detailed all the ways basketball had impacted our family and thanked him for his time. I spent a lot of time writing that note and being specific about the ways this good person had made a difference to us, and as I sat there writing, my mood changed from frustration and sadness about our situation, to gratefulness for the people in our life. I moved on the the next note, and the next.
I wrote one to our mail carrier thanking her for always being so friendly to my kids and letting her know that I see her. I wrote one to our landlord and thanked him for providing us a place to live. Yeah, I know we were paying for the privilege, but I wanted him to know that I appreciate the risk he takes on perfect strangers and that I see him. You see, all the sudden, these notes became about letting others know that I saw them and that I appreciated their contributions to the world. I felt so uplifted after writing them and giving them. Since then, whether I give an actual gift or not, I try to really take time to write a note detailing why I appreciate the person receiving it, and it has had an impact on me and I am sure it has made someone else feel valued in a way that just handing them a gift card doesn't.
So don't be embarrassed if you can't afford a gift for your kid's teacher, and don't feel pressured to gift when it would be detrimental to your family. Writing a note, recording a message on your phone and sending it, taking a picture and sending it with a heartfelt message are all ways that you can acknowledge the people in your life without having to spend money.
I hope that during this holiday season, which is capping an incredibly tough year, you find a way to create some joy, find out of the box ways to celebrate, and share with those you care about.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!
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