December 23, 2023: A Search for Meaningful Gifts
The holiday season can be a joyful time, filled with treasured times with family and friends, and traditions that bring back poignant memories of past celebrations. It’s a time of year, when people seem to be more patient and kinder, extending greetings and courtesies that are too often not shared.
But it can also be fraught with the pressures to make it “perfect”, from a decorated house, art worthy baking, and challenges of finding the “best gift’. Magazines give us mixed messages, showcasing gorgeous pictures of glorious decorations, taste tempting cookies, and beautifully wrapped packages. Simultaneously, they contain articles on how to avoid the stress of the holidays.
This holiday season is one that has us scrambling to find the “just right” gift(s) for the list that seems to perpetually grow longer. I love the whole process of finding meaningful gifts. I’m fortunate, that in participating in all the shows we do, I have opportunity to see all kinds of potential gifts in the array of products created by the artists. But I still find there are times, when it is a challenge. In my case, what do you get for a 94-year old, who has everything she needs. What about a friend who is going through a difficult time in her life? Or a beloved grandchild who does not want to impose her wishes in contrast to her younger sister who has a list a mile long!
I’ve found a few strategies, that over the years, have seemed to help along with a few favorite quotes to inspire me during this season of giving..
“The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.”
Charles Dudley Warner
1.Establish a budget.
If we do this, it will help discern how much we can spend on each person on our gift list. I know this can be a challenge as I try to do this, but unfortunately I do not always follow this advice. Too often, after my shopping is supposedly done, I find something else that just has to be added.
“You take away all the other luxuries in life, and if you can make someone smile and laugh, you have given the most special gift: happiness.”
Brad Garrett
2.Brainstorm a list of all of the recipients likes, needs, interests, etc.
It helps to narrow the possibilities from the explosion of choices in the stores and online. Ask yourself, What are the hobbies, interests and needs of your recipients. Once again, this helps to filter the decision making process.
“Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection.”
Pindar
3. Make the gift meaningful and personal
Creating something handmade is always lovely, but if you don’t have the inclination or time, craft fairs, abundant this time of year, are always a great source for gifts. You can find a wide selection of items and prices, to satisfy your list from Secret Santa’s and teacher gifts, to the “hard to buy for” relative. At the last one we participated in, I was able to find handmade, organic body products for the daughters and granddaughters on my list. They were beautifully made and packaged and very reasonably priced.. I found a beautiful charcuterie board for a friend who’s a gourmet cook and a luminous tree display for another who collects folk art trees. I love the fact that the crafts I find are made from the heart of the artist and not mass-produced in a far-off country.
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
— Charles Dickens
4. Give back to the world:
Each year, I give to organizations that I hope will help to better someone’s life or our world. Even though I know it’s just a small piece of the need for more research, food, & environmental care, it’s a ripple that is flowing out to hopefully make a difference in our world.
My final strategy is always inspired by these two quotes.:
“Giving doesn’t always involve money”
― Charmaine J Forde
“For it is in giving that we receive.”
— Francis of Assisi
5. Giving time:
This can seem to be another burden in an already over-scheduled time of year, but it is sometimes the best gift we can give, with moments that truly can make a difference. Whether it’s a visit with a shut-in, an afternoon with a friend, a long overdue phone call with a long distance friend, an afternoon making gingerbread houses with children, or as in our annual tradition, creating a seed and fruit-filled tree for the birds, it can often be a gift that keeps on giving…..to the recipient as well as ourselves.
What have you found are the best gifts in this holiday season?
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read our blog. If you have any other ideas on gift giving, we invite you to share them in the comments below.
We wish you health and happiness during this holiday season.
Wendy and Ron,
Dreamscape Jewelry Design Team