We’re down to the final hour, folks. It’s surprising when you think about it. Christmas and Hanukkah arrive around the same time every year, yet many of us are still running around with glazed eyes wondering what to gift the special people in our lives.
It’s not that we haven’t been bombarded with news flashes screaming last minute sales or begging us to order immediately to take advantage of free shipping – retailers and merchants have certainly done their part to light fires in our pocketbooks and keep us aware of the Christmas countdown.
We all want our special gift, the one we hope tops last year’s offering, to get the most applause from the holiday home crowd. We all want to look good!
Every year it gets harder and harder finding the perfect gift for the special people in our lives. Why? Because most people have everything they need already; money is tighter which means we have to become more creative; and finally, stores and websites all seem to tout the same old, same old.
What to do? Give gift cards or money? Now, that could be deemed a cop-out and sure doesn’t carry a warm personal touch.
How about giving something new and different this year – how about wrapping up the gift of time?
We wouldn’t have to open our wallets so wide to share this wonderful gift. Maybe offer to babysit the grand-kids more often, do a run of errands, or promise (and keep it!) to meet once each season for lunch. How about spending time with a younger family member to catch a movie or spring for an ice cream cone? How about helping an older relative write their memoirs? Maybe take a walk around the block every night with the one you love? The opportunities are endless.
