Give The Gift of Memories

No matter the person, no matter the occasion, but best present you can ever give to another is a beautiful memory. Whether it’s wrapped up as the experience of a walk in the park, baking Christmas cookies together, playing board games as a family, a handmade scarf or snuggling by the fire, the best gift is the present of your presence.

In my last blog post we brought you suggestions for free holiday gifts for this season. As you know, the vast majority of the suggestions involved giving of our time. I have received numerous email messages asking me to elaborate on what I’m personally doing this year.

I can’t go into the details just yet as to what I’m creating for whom (because they might read this!), but I wanted to give you some additional ideas to add to your list. This holiday season I’m making things for my friends and family. Some of them are physical things and others are experiences that I’ve planned for when our family is all together here in Montana.

(The photos on this page show you a few of the gifts I’ve made so far.)

Remember when you were little and you created a piece of pottery in second grade for your mom? If it looked anything like the bowl I made, there was no talent involved. But, my mom still has that little bowl. I still have a teddy bear that my grandmother made for me almost 50 years ago, as well as a stuffed monkey (with his tail coming out the back of his head) from my daughter and artwork from my son that were created nearly 20 years ago.  We still treasure these precious things because they include a little piece of someone that we love.

This year, instead of giving of your treasures, give of your time and your talent. If you can sing, sing a song. If you can dance, make a dance video. If you can write, pen a personal letter or poem. We all have unique talents to share with one another. If you’re not perfect, that only makes the present more valuable and more treasured.

Let go of the notion that “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not really talented at anything” and just go do something you love. You don’t have to be a rock star to sing a song, or Van Gogh to create a painting that will touch someone’s heart. Need more help? Just grab a sheet of paper and write “I Love You Because……” across the top, and fill in the lines below for an easy, meaningful gift.

These are the memories that we’ll leave long after we’re gone. Don’t believe me? Think back to the very best memories you have of a loved one who has passed away. My guess is that you too will remember an experience that you shared together, or something that you made for one another that cost little or nothing to create.

This holiday season, celebrate who you are by expressing your joy and love of life in your own special way. Celebrate and express your own individual unique talents.

Just like in life- focus on what you CAN do instead of what you can’t. Find your unique gift and share it with the world. I’d write more, but I’m off to send two gifts that I just finished last night to some friends for their Hanukkah celebration this weekend. I hope my gifts touch their hearts, as their presence in my life has touched mine.

Please write and share your holiday experiences and/or send photos of things you have created for your family and friends this year.

Thank you for sharing the beauty of who you are with the rest of us. Warm wishes for a memorable holiday season filled with love and joy.