How to Give the Gift of Love
5 Cost Free Gifts
By Mary Brook
If you are an average American consumer then you are expected to spend $942.00 on holiday gifts this season. 37% of Americans say they will spend $1,000 or more and 16% say they will spend less this year than last year. These are all record amounts of spending for this average holiday season. According to a Gallup Poll initial, it should be a good spending season for retailers.
But if you are senior or live on a fixed income these numbers can be overwhelming. How do you find a gift that won’t break the bank? What is the best gift you can give this year that doesn’t cost a dime? I believe it’s the gift of love. Love comes in all shapes and sizes and it may or may not be wrapped up and put under the Christmas tree. Love has different meanings to different people. But the true meaning of the holidays is sometimes forgotten. Take a moment to remember it’s not about buying presents but about giving.
What is the best gift you can give this year that doesn’t cost a dime? The gift of love. Love comes in all shapes and sizes and it may or may not be wrapped. Love has different meanings to different people. The Oxford dictionary defines the word gift, “as a thing given willingly to someone without payment, a present.
“The true meaning of the holidays is not about buying presents
but about giving.”
I hear again and again from seniors the number one gift they want for Christmas is to spend time with their family. Sharing your time, energy and unconditional love with no strings attached is celebrating the true meaning of the season. Visiting family because you want to not because you have to create good feels for everyone. Anyone can go to the store and buy a present, but if you take the time to visit with family it will mean so much more. The time you spend together will be a memory for that last throughout the year.
5 Cost Free Presents!
The Gift of Time: One of the hardest things to do is slow down and take the time to connect. Put down the cell phone, and listen to what the other person is saying is a gift of love.
The Gift of Nature: Take a walk together when you are outside with your loved ones it is a refreshing change of pace. Getting out of the house and into nature is good for everyone. The loving feeling of being together in nature will create a memory that will last.
The Gift of Play: Play a game together and have some fun. One of my favoritesScattergories, a creative-thinking based game that can be played in teams. There is a lot of laughter and a lot of conversation when you play together.
The Gift of a Handwritten Letter: Instead of buying a card that says I love you. Write a letter to your loved ones. Put into words your feelings and let that person know why you care about them. A letter is something they can keep and look at throughout the year.
The Gift of Kindness: Being kind to others costs you nothing but a smile or a few kind words. The effect of kindness makes you feel better and will let the other person know you care enough to connect. Being kind to strangers standing in line at the grocery can lift the spirits of everyone in line. When you ask someone how they are doing it may be their only social connection that day. For some seniors who live alone, it means a lot. Especially when they don’t expect it.
It’s challenging not to get caught up in the spending spree that has become part of the holiday season. But what will your family remember two days after Christmas? The store-bought presents or the time you spent engaging in meaningful activities and connecting. To give the gift of love at the holiday season is the best gift of all.
