Drop a gold coin in a Salvation Army bucket. Tie a bow around a brand new car to give someone you love. Leave a $100 tip for a restaurant server. Wrap an envelope of airline tickets.
Those make great bucket list ideas, don’t they? I’d love the opportunity to do each one of those someday. There is something about being able to overwhelm others with an amazing gift. Everyone should have the chance to experience that once in their lifetime.
But in reality those are truly once-in-a-lifetime goals – if even. Yet we have a desire to deliver above and beyond. And in the life of parents this can translate into trying to outdo ourselves every year in the gifts we give our children. It’s hard not to give into temptation. Trust me, I’m there. Even if it’s not the temptation to outdo a previous year’s gift, there’s still that tendency to shop for “just one more.” Right?
So what if this is a leaner year. Or what if you’ve run out of amazing gift ideas? Stop for a minute and recall: what was your best Christmas ever? What made it remarkable?
Do you recall being surprised by a once-in-a-lifetime gift: the year you got engaged at Christmas, the time your parents sprung a tropical vacation on you & your siblings, the Christmas you received your most hoped-for but least-expected gift (like Ralphie’s Red Ryder BB gun)?
I imagine other occasions stand out too though. The year you swore you heard Santa’s sleigh outside. The time you ate Christmas dinner at a convenience store because your flight arrived after all the restaurants closed. The Christmas your entire family stayed in pajamas all day hunched in front of the television battling it out on your new ColecoVision game (Mom & Dad included).
Maybe the strongest sentiments for you surround an overall impression of what Christmas meant: spending the night at Grandma & Grandpa’s house. Roudy carousing with cousins & the antics of aunts & uncles. How your cousin swore your mom couldn’t enter their house any time she wanted (like Santa Claus) and to prove it she snuck in and painted his fingernails a bright red.
You want to deliver big for your family and loved ones this year? Consider how you can give them those warm feelings of family and security and relaxation. Maybe you’ll want to wrap up a certificate for one whole day of Barbie doll playing together for your daughter. Or the gift of a day in pajamas playing the board games of your son’s choosing. For the artsy child try wrapping a coloring book with a note saying it’s for the two of you to share & color side by side. Give a young relative who lives far away a book along with a CD or MP3 of you reading it aloud to them.
Instead of pushing the financial envelope, push the limits of your creativity to produce a memorable gift of time and presence.
Yes, it’s an amazing treat for giver and recipient to lavish extravagant gifts. But sometimes the most appreciated gift is the gift of ourselves. And that’s one we should shoot to give more than once in a lifetime.
Three years ago we moved across the country from our extended family so missed the tradition of my parents being there for gift opening. This year they are visiting so we are all excited as it will feel like a “real” Christmas with the gift of their presence.
Sue – that does sound like a gift to have your parents there for Christmas. Enjoy!
What fun ideas, Lara! My boys have nothing huge on their lists this year. A. wants a new frisbee, B. wants a new blanket, and my little guy wants rocks. (no joke.) After banging my head against the wall trying to come up with something “big,” I’ve accepted that this will be a low-key christmas, in terms of gifts. And that’s okay. 🙂
Robyn, I love what your boys’ lists say about how content they are. And I’m with you on struggling for a “big” idea to go along with the low-key requests. Funny how we do that to ourselves first, before accepting the beauty of what is. A very Merry Christmas to all of you!