The Five Best Gifts to Give Your
Family.
by
Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
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Title: The Five Best Gifts to Give Your Family
Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
E-mail:
mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com
Copyright: © 2003 by Margaret Paul
Web Address:
http://www.innerbonding.com
Word Count: 744
Category: Parenting, Relationships
THE FIVE BEST GIFTS TO GIVE YOUR FAMILY
By Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
When we think of giving gifts, we usually think of
things to buy for people. Yet if you think back on
gifts you’ve been given, it might not be the material
gifts you received that are foremost in your mind – it
might be the kind of gifts that deeply touched your
heart and soul. It might be various ways, other than
material things, that people expressed their love to
you.
There are five gifts of love that we can give to our
families that can make a huge difference in their
lives.
THE GIFT OF CARING AND COMPASSION
We all yearn to feel cared for, yet many of us
withhold caring and compassion for others. A profound
gift we can give to our loved ones is to listen with
our heart, to understand and accept rather than to
judge, and to stay open to learning rather than to
protect against being hurt.
Think about the last time someone actually listened to
you and gave you understanding and acceptance. The
feeling of being understood and accepted with caring
and compassion is one of the best feelings in the
world. Instead of focusing on getting this from
others, why not focus on giving it to others? You
might be surprised at how wonderful you feel in giving
this gift to your family.
THE GIFT OF COURAGE
One of the best gifts we can give our loved ones is
our own courage. This means being having the courage
to stand in our truth, to be honest about what we want
and don’t want, what we will do and won’t do, what is
and what is not acceptable to us. It means having the
courage to take good care of ourselves, even if others
don’t like it. It means not succumbing to our
controlling behaviors that come from fear: anger,
withdrawal, compliance, resistance, but instead being
honest and above-board about ourselves. It means being
willing to face conflict rather than give ourselves up
to avoid it.
When we have the courage to face conflict and tell the
truth, we not only provide our family with a role
model for courage, but we provide opportunities for
our loved ones to step up to the plate in the face of
our truth and learn to be courageous too.
THE GIFT OF SERVICE
We are on this planet to learn to love ourselves and
each other, and to help each other. One of the best
gifts we can give our family is to role model this by
doing service. Helping others fills the heart and soul
in ways that nothing else can. If children do not see
their parents doing service and helping others, they
may never learn the great joy and fulfillment that
comes from giving. One of the best gifts we can give
to our family is to provide ways of doing service.
THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY
All of us are born with various ways of expressing our
creativity. Expressing creativity is a profound way of
connecting with Spirit, since expressed creativity is
a direct expression of Spirit. Providing your family
with many ways of expressing their creativity is a
great gift. Creativity can be expressed in so many
ways – cooking, crafts, building things, music, art,
movement, telling stories, writing, humor, photography
and video – the possibilities are endless! Creative
family projects are especially wonderful in creating
family closeness.
THE GIFT OF LIGHTNESS OF BEING
Lightness of being – fun, joy, laughter, playfulness –
is a great gift to give to others. Lightness of being
is infectious – our laughter and playfulness can help
others take life less seriously and “lighten up.”
Lightness of being is one the results of all the other
gifts – of caring, courage, service and creativity.
When we give these gifts, we feel a wonderful
lightness within, the lightness that is the result of
fully giving from the heart. Our own lightness of
being can bring lightness into our whole family.
Children love it when their parents are playful,
funloving and joyful. Laughing together as a family is
one of the most precious experiences in life.
We need to focus of giving these gifts each day, not
just during a holiday season or special occasions.
These gifts are far more important than any material
thing we can buy for someone. In fact, we might not be
so focused on material gifts if we frequently give the
gift of love – of caring, compassion, courage,
service, creativity, and lightness of being.
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and
co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give
Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of
the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Visit her
web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course:
www.innerbonding.com or
margaret@innerbonding.com.
THE MOST IMPORTANT GIFTS OF ALL.
by
Pauline Wallin, Ph.D.
IN THIS
SEASON OF GIFT-BUYING, DON'T IGNORE THE MOST IMPORTANT
GIFTS OF ALL
In this season of holiday gift buying, advertisers
bombard us with messages, some of them contradictory.
One ad tells us that the best way for men to show love
is to spend three months' salary on a piece of diamond
jewelry. On the other hand, MasterCard commercials
remind us that there are some things ("Priceless"
moments) that money can't buy.
"Oh, that's a sweet sentiment," you might say, "but
can it really substitute for the latest videogame or
hot toy?" Very few children raised in this
materialistic culture would say, "Gee mom, thanks for
making my favorite meal. What a great Christmas gift!"
Yet 20 years from now, these same children probably
won't remember the items that they got for the current
Christmas. They will, however, recall the special
games that their family played together, the time that
their older brother took them to a movie, or the way
their parents tucked them in at night.
These are the little moments, which over time, have a
huge impact. Unfortunately people tend to take them
for granted. With so much emphasis on holiday
shopping, and on buying the perfect gift, we can lose
sight of the importance of the less flashy, but
"priceless" gifts: gifts such as thoughtfulness and
gratitude that we can give to one another all year
round. A diamond may be forever, but its value is
nothing compared to a lifetime of moments that money
can't buy.
I'm not suggesting that you forego the presents this
holiday season, but don't worry so much about how
"perfect" they are. Go ahead and buy some gifts, but
more importantly, resolve to focus your energy on
helping others feel valued and appreciated. They will
remember your acts of thoughtfulness and compassion
long after the material gifts are gone.
Here are some examples of small gestures that can help
people around you feel valued:
1. Show your appreciation with a thank-you, a smile or
a hug (or all three.) It takes just a moment, but it
can make a person's day.
2. Practice a random act of kindness every day. Make
this your "gift" to a stranger. For example, let
someone in front of you in line. Hold a door open for
someone. Smile and greet people you pass at work.
These acts take only a few seconds or less, yet they
create a mood that can last for hours.
3. Call up someone you haven't spoken to in a while,
just to catch up on how they are. You've probably been
meaning to do this for a long time. Now is a good
time.
4. If you have children, give one child at a time your
full attention for an afternoon: Go for a walk; go to
the library; or just sit and read or draw together.
The activity itself isn't as important as sharing time
and interacting together. Going to a movie or watching
a video doesn't count.
5. Write a note of appreciation to someone who is
important to you. Don't be surprised if that person
keeps the note for years to come.
6. Think of the way you'd like to be remembered by
those around you, and give of yourself accordingly
throughout the year. The added benefit for you is that
you'll be in a more positive frame of mind
Pauline
Wallin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Camp Hill, PA, and
author of "Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide for
Transforming Self-defeating Behavior" (Beyond Words
Publishing, 2001) Visit
www.innerbrat.com for more information, and
subscribe to her free, monthly Inner Brat Newsletter.
Creating & Maintaining a "Gift Chest".
by
Stacie Dahl
You
have permission to reprint this article in its
entirety in your newsletter or on your website, as
long as my byline stays intact. If you do use this
article, please email me at: mailto:blankiebundles@yahoo.com
to let me know that you have used my article. If you
wish to quote portions only, please email me at
mailto:blankiebundles@yahoo.com for requests and
information about how to reference me as the author.
Thank you!
Creating & Maintaining a "Gift Chest"
by Stacie Dahl
With all of the weddings, baby showers, birthday
parties, etc. it seems there is always a gift needed
at the last minute. Do you have cash in your wallet to
slip in the card? Do you re-gift a gift certificate?
Do you run to the store and buy on a whim?
Why not solve the last minute rush of gift giving once
and for all by creating a "gift chest" full of gifts
ready to give.
To create your "gift chest," start by identifying what
types of gifts your family needs. Are you invited to a
lot of weddings? Do you have kids and get invited to
birthday parties? Do you have a lot of friends having
babies? After identifying what types of gifts your
family is in need of, start by purchasing inexpensive
cards for the occasions you are invited to most. Most
drug stores have a $0.99 section or what about buying
a prepackaged stack of cards with a cute cover and
blank insides (buying in bulk is always less
expensive).
Next where do you store all these gifts and cards but
are still able to find them later on when you need
them most. I have an under-the-bed plastic storage bin
where I can store the gifts. For cards I use a 13
divider plastic storage accordion file. The dividers
can be divided by month and you stick the cards in for
the appropriate events in each month. Or you can label
your dividers by event--new baby, girl birthday, boy
birthday, adult birthday, wedding, etc.
Here are some of my suggestions to start building your
gift chest:
1. Young Girls-purses, sparkly stuff, stationery, fun
pens & pencils, tea sets, and anything mini and
dainty.
2. Young Boys-cars (matchbox to medium size), noise
making action figures (be careful of trends and try to
pick one that is more timeless), spy kits, small
animal sets (farm, dinosaur), people sets (cowboys,
army), and camping kits.
3. Generic Children-books, puzzles, crayon packs,
activity/coloring books, craft/activity sets, and food
making toys--like snow cone maker, chocolate mold
maker.
4. Teenagers-fast food gift certificates, journal,
books (particularly those to improve their own self
image), and a certificate for a one year subscription
to a magazine of their choice.
5. Weddings-glass goblets, serving platters rays,
candles with candle holders, cloth napkins with
matching table runner and/or placemats but be sure to
use a neutral color like white or beige so it doesn't
clash with each couples color scheme.
6. New Baby-Get something unique other than an outfit
like blankets, bibs, burp cloths, small baby toys. New
moms have a hard time remembering who gave what outfit
but they will always remember who gave them baby's
special blanket for instance.
There are some free activities you can find online as
well. For boys and girls, I particularly like
http://www.makingfriends.com You can print
them out for your kids or grandkids. Or you can even
slip them in a card for someone else to enjoy. They
can print, cut and make their own paper dolls. These
are fun because kids or adults can present a play with
their creations, retell a story or glue them to cards
for gift giving.
Now when I go to my gift chest I am ready to wrap and
don't have to put my life on hold to find a gift.
Don't forget to keep your gift chest well stocked but
not over-stuffed and overflowing! Try not to buy big
bulky items that will use up all your space.
Make sure to keep a budget on gifts and don't
overspend. By keeping your gift chest well stocked you
can actually save some money by being able to get the
items on sale throughout the year and not buying a
more expensive item on impulse because you're already
late for the party!
Copyright - Stacie Dahl 2003
About the author: Stacie is a WAHM with 4 little
kiddos and owner of Blankie Bundles, an online gift
boutique specializing in babies and young children's
gifts. Visit:
http://www.blankiebundles.com
Stacie
is a WAHM with 4 little kiddos and owner of Blankie
Bundles, an online gift boutique specializing in
babies and young children's gifts. Visit:
www.blankiebundles.com
Unique Luxury Gifts.
by
Adriana Copaceanu
Luxury
Gifts were designed with class, elegance and comfort
in mind. You dont have to be a millionaire to enjoy
luxury gifts.
Most
people assume that luxury gifts require a large
financial investment. Not so. Luxury is truly in the
eye of the beholder. For one person a luxury gift
might consist of some bath and body oils; for others
only diamonds will please.
The
idea of pampering a person as a sign of adoration and
respect has been around for centuries. The idea of
gift giving has been popularized throughout history.
In ancient Rome gifts were given to celebrate the New
Year. These first celebrations however, often did not
entail the giving and receiving of luxury gifts. In
Roman times, gifts such as food and vegetables were
not uncommon. Alcohol might also be considered a
traditional offering, though liquor is a popular
choice even in contemporary societies.
Christmas time universally has been documented as an
occasion worthy of gift sharing, though traditionally
this holiday was celebrated in absentia of any gift
giving. Rather people gathered together to celebrate
and share food, drink and good company. In
contemporary society, almost any occasion is an event
worthy of gift exchange.
During
Victorian times, Christmas gift giving became very
popular. There were an unlimited number of popular
gift items shared among young ladies; these included
books, flowers, bonbons, silver, letter clips and tea
cups. Cigar cutters were popular items for men during
this period.
Gift
giving has also become a popular game during the
holidays. Games such as a White Elephant Gift Exchange
allow all the excitement and good humor traditionally
associated with gift giving with an added aspect of
comedy. White Elephant Exchanges are perhaps the polar
opposite of luxury gifts. In a White Elephant Exchange
a group exchanges gifts that might be anything from a
can opener to a used jar of applesauce. The point is
to have some gifts that are valuable and that might be
prized in a game setting that everyone tries to end up
with, while everyone else participates in a mad
exchange of gag gifts. The gag gift aspect is not a
requirement but it can certainly fill a room with lots
of laughter and good humor.
Luxury
has been defined as "anything which pleases the
senses", that is difficult to obtain, or has a quality
of expensive rarity. This can translate however, into
almost anything. Chaucer described luxury as "wine and
drunkenness." Others have described it as lust,
voluptuousness, lasciviousness, gratification and even
exuberance. No matter how you define luxury, there are
boundless luxury gifts available that please the
senses, soul, mind and spirit. By nature this type of
gift symbolizes something that is not necessarily a
necessity, but something that obviously adds pleasure,
comfort and frills.
Adriana
Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas
that dont blow the bank at
http://www.abcgiftsandbaskets.com. For more
articles by Adriana, visit
http://www.free-content-resource.com/
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