The Real Gifts your Parents or Grandparents Want for Christmas
Real Gifts
Each of us carry around secret things in our hearts that we want for Christmas but may not write down on a list. Mainly because these things can’t be purchased in a store, then wrapped and placed beneath a tree.
Kindness
If you go all day long and no one is kind to you odds are you will be in a terrible mood because you have spent the day with grouchy people. We can’t control how other people act but we can distribute kindness. Share a smile with everyone you meet. Open the door for someone who has their arms full. Phone an elderly neighbor and check on them. Offer to go shopping for them during the cold and snowy weather. Kindness matters….always.
Love
Have you been to the nursing home lately? If you haven’t, please go. Ask the people who work there who doesn’t get any visitors and then go visit them. Everyone deserves to be loved and to feel appreciated. I think one of the worst lies we can tell ourselves is that it doesn’t matter if we go or not because they won’t remember us. Or, they get plenty of visitors this time of year and I don’t want to be in the way. It doesn’t matter if they do forget you were there, they still enjoy the moment even if they forget it!
Joy
Nothing makes me happier than hearing the sound of my grandchildren’s laughter! Try to imagine what it’s like to go all day, all week, or all month without ever hearing anyone laugh? If you know someone who lives alone then you know someone who needs the gift of joy. Little children are natural givers and entertainers and spread joy easier than I can spread peanut butter on toast.
Peace
Sadly I am very aware of parents and grandparents who yearn for peace in their family. Many of them have their hearts broken over family squabbles and disagreements. There’s only one way out of situations like this; both parties have to forgive and forget. That’s the only path to peace. Anything short of that and history is bound to repeat itself.
Sometimes that happens, but I’ve seen it go the other way too. People spend years holding on to a grudge and take it with them to their grave. For them, being right is more important than having peace. It’s a terrible, painful, joy-stealing thing and I hope and pray it never happens in your family.
Gift Giving
If you have the power within you to give any of these gifts to your parents or grandparents, please do so. I promise they will be thrilled!
Some excellent points and suggestions. Thank you for the thoughts, I’ve grown so sour on consumerism this time of year and have begun to see how important the other stuff is.