I would suggest that giving of your time is also a great way to offer up a unique gift but for those of us with chronic illness and ra in particular, that may not be the best option for us. We often have little energy left this time of the year and although offering free babysitting for one night, chauffeur service for that teen, or even a helping hand with cleaning might be a great gift idea for the healthy out there but for us, this probably is not an option. This may be the perfect gift that our loved ones can give us but that may be a topic for another post.
So, what can we give that wouldn't cost anything or very, very little, would take little physical energy to create and mean an awful lot? Give the gift of words to your loved ones this year.
For the tweenies out there, you might consider starting a diary for them. You can buy an inexpensive notebook (again head for the dollar stores) and write a story about your tweenie years on the first page and how much they mean to you. For the tweenie boys that have a hobby you both share, perhaps you can write a letter telling them how much they mean to you and how you (during your tweens) loved their current hobby.
For the teens, you might consider a letter detailing how much you appreciate them. Find the things that they do or say that you are proud of and tell them. Perhaps they get good grades, volunteer, help out around their home when you aren't feeling well, or participate in a sport regularly. All of these take determination. Tell them so.
For the twenty somethings, you can write a letter detailing how proud you are of them and all they are accomplishing during this stage of life. And yes, even those that can not locate employment right now have much to celebrate in all they have done. This is just a rough patch right now and they need encouragement and support more then ever. Offer it up. Let them know that you have been there and let them know that they also can overcome and that they will succeed. Perhaps you can add a few of your favorite inspiring quotes.
For the thirty somethings with children, I would suggest a letter detailing how your loved one was as a child. Perhaps you could write about their first, second, or third Christmas to parallel their child's age and inspire the true meaning of Christmas. And of course, if you have any photos, include copies of those as well. Perhaps a favorite photo will stir your memory for a story to share.
For the older adults, any letter filled with love and appreciation for who they are, what they have accomplished will surely be appreciated. I have received several of these types of gifts over the years and to this day, I still have them and I cherish them.
And if letter writing isn't your thing, a short list of Christmas wishes written on a list, wrapped with a bow to hang on their tree will do.
So often we get lost in the glitz of it all. We forget that a kind word can mean so much more then a gold ring. To me, these gifts will be remembered for years to come and even though they will cost very little, they are priceless.
What has been your best gift of all?
