Grace

It’s time, right? Halloween is all wrapped up. The craft stores have had their holiday wares out since August, and now all of RETAILTROPOLIS is following suite. The kids have been working on letters to Santa and their Christmas wish lists. Families have been making their travel reservations. Lots of office parties, holiday fairs, food drives and fund-raising events are ramping up.

 

Some of us love this time of year. We look forward to the planning and decorating, the baking and visiting, and we like to take time to find just the right things for our loved ones. Maybe it’s something bought or maybe it’s something made from the heart.

But for others, this is the time of year some of us start to fret about whether or not we have enough – enough time? Enough energy? Enough patience? Enough money? Will what we buy, make, do, plan, or give, all be enough???

Some of us long for simpler times. Reduced workloads, reduced schedules, reduced “stuff” from our homes, or just our lives in general! (Some of us would just like to hibernate until mid-January, or later if you can’t swing a winter-bird vacay to the Southern Hemisphere. ("Wake me when it’s over and all the bills are paid!")

But we don’t have to fall into the trap of all the hustle and bustle. The truth is life is always going to be busy and fraught with all kinds of stressors. But we can choose where to put our mindset and our energy. We don’t have to go with the flow and get swamped by a tidal wave of doubt and worry, or anxiety over the simple act of giving a gift. We can choose to be thoughtful and purposeful about this process.

The idea behind giving a gift is to express appreciation toward another person, or acknowledge a significant happening in their life. It’s an opportunity to show that person how important they are to us, and perhaps how well we understand them. It doesn’t have to be much and it doesn’t have to be complicated – just sincere.

When it’s done for the right reasons, and in the right way, giving a gift is an extraordinary experience that brings happiness to both parties. We each learn to receive, too. We learn how to be gracious in this process, a true gift in itself.