Tis' the Season, all the gifts are wrapped up nicely and tucked under the tree while others celebrate Hanukkah and soon after Kwanzaa. All throughout the year we find many reasons to gift one another. How do you know that your gift was worthy of the recipeints gratitude? Have you shopped every store, strolled every mall, scanned every website or spent hours bent over a craft table with hot glue blisters on your fingers to create a masterpiece for that special someone, only to be disappointed by the casual "thank you" and less than geniune facial expression, leaving you with the feeling that you need to explain your reasons for choosing that gift and sharing why you think it is perfect for them? Have you ever found yourself in their shoes?
After a recent visit to my local mall, as I sat amongst the bored husbands sleeping on the leather chairs in the center of the bustle, I quietly observed happy conversations, rude attitudes, screaming children, young love and stressed employees rushing back to their jobs with a Starbucks Venti in hand. I tried to shift my thoughts from the obvious, a society where "things" have become all consuming and the expense perceived as a measure of love, but I couldn't find a silver lining anywhere.
What is this monster that mankind has evolved into? Is the beast growing stronger, or are there others, like me, who hang on to hope as if it were their final breath? Are you a member of the new pack or "old fashioned"? Now is the perfect time to choose a side.
Not sure where you stand? Start with a conversation :
1. If you could give a gift to anyone, what would it be and who would you give it to?
2. What gift are you hoping for? How would you react if that gift was purchased and given to your answer to question #1?
3. What is the most useful gift you have ever recieved and how long did it last?
Your answers should provide a firm idea of where you stand.
We can all use a reminder of WHY & HOW we give.