BAH HUMBUG

It’s Christmas time AGAIN! Didn’t we just do this eleven months ago? Actually, I guess it’s been Christmas time for the past 3 months judging by the holiday displays in the stores. I think I saw my first Christmas commercial in October and the carols on the radio weren’t far behind. UGH!

For the past few years, I’ve been gifting experiences rather than things. I took my mom on a ‘girls’ weekend.’ I kept my great-niece for a few days while her parents had a babymoon. Two years ago, I gave my grandsons a trip to Seattle to experience kayaking and whale watching. And then there was Covid…The Germ That Stole Christmas! This year, I’m planning trips to the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, theatre performances, sports events, and pool passes. Rather than asking, “What do you want?,” I suggest asking, “What do you like to do?” BAM – there’s your gift.

What I know for sure is experiences = memories and that’s the gift that keeps on giving.

That said, if you can’t resist gift giving, especially for older relatives, here’s a list I found in my Grief and the Holidays file. (Doesn’t everyone have a file entitled Grief and the Holidays?) Maybe something on the list will bring holiday joy to you and yours:

• A plant
• A gift for their pet
• A home-cooked meal delivered and shared
• A hand-made coupon book for household repairs, lawn mowing, leaf raking, etc.
• Pictures of your family (Digital photo frames are wonderful)
• A jigsaw puzzle
• A birdfeeder and the promise to keep it filled
• A book (especially if its about someone from their generation)
• A donation to a charity in their honor
• A subscription to Storyworth.com (We got this for our mom, and she loved it)
• Your undivided time and attention once a month = time well spent and may just be the BEST gift ever!