Top Ten Perfect Gifts
ONLY 7 MORE SHOPPING DAYS LEFT TO CHRISTMAS!
As if Americans needed any more encouragement to spend money we don’t have, television commercials and retail signs are reminding us that the annual holiday shopping deadline is quickly approaching. Stores are full of people desperately searching for “the perfect gift” for Christmas or Hanukkah. Some are shopping for family members, others for dear friends, others for bosses or coworkers and still others for those hard-to-buy-for folks saved until the last minute.
In the interest of preventing desperate choices like votive candle holders and purple sweaters, I thought I might offer an InSpiritry list of gift ideas for those who want to give something really special, things that affirm the recipient in ways a store bought item sometimes fails to do–gifts of inspiration!
So, here are ten suggestions for great gifts:
A donation to a group that puts into practice the recipient’s values, ideals or dreams.
A gift certificate for a day to spend together. Upon opening, begin to make your plans right away!
An item that recalls a shared experience from the past, especially a memory that may have been forgotten.
Two copies of a book you can both read and then share conversations about!
A gift certificate to KIVA, letting the recipient participate in sharing your gift with others.
A plant whose care and blooms will be a reminder of your love
A compilation CD of music or a collection of photos that will remind the recipient of a special time or place.
A toy or gift that gently helps the recipient laugh “with” you or even “at” themselves.
A collection of nurturing or inspirational sights, sounds and smells, especially if they fit a theme.
A small item you have enjoyed that can bring joy to someone else now.
Did I give you any ideas? Are you thinking “out of the box” about gift giving? I hope so, because there is more. While the suggestions I have made all make wonderful gifts, especially when accompanied by a note that shares your heartfelt intentions, I haven’t yet told you about the best gifts of all. The best gifts are ones that bless not only the person you give them to but also you, yourself! They are gifts that are not actually ever opened–gifts only you know about! These are the most prized and the most precious gifts. Some are a bit pricey, requiring you to dig deep in the pockets of your heart, but all are worth every ounce of effort you spend on them! What could be on this special list?
Here it is. My top ten list of Perfect Gifts:
Do a favor…anonymously!
Release a grudge…without requiring remorse!
Forgive a wrong…in the absence of an apology!
Overlook an error…even a thoughtless one!
Forget a slight…and the hurt it caused!
Encourage a dream…you don’t really share!
Keep a promise…without getting credit!
Honor others’ accomplishments…without envy!
Accept advice…and follow it!
Demonstrate your love…without using words!
There they are: my top ten all time great gift ideas, but I can’t take credit for them. These are gifts given to me by people in my life who might not have had as much as someone else to spend at Christmas, but always found a way to make everyone feel blessed and treasured all year long. What a blessed life I have had!
Remember, gift giving is a wonderful, tangible way to affirm our relationships, not a measure of our bank accounts or credit cards. In the midst of this shopping frenzy, stop to really consider the precious relationships in your life. Then, remember: the gifts that mean the most to people are gifts of the heart!
When We Give from the Heart, We Can Be a Blessing!
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