Monday, November 3, 2014

A Year of Kindness - Challenge Weeks 43 & 44

Did you notice that Challenge Week 43 came and went without a peep from me? Well, here's the thing. I was busy being kind to ME. Seems I have hurt my back again and was unable to sit at the computer for any length of time and unable to concentrate... so I gave myself... and all of you... a pass week. A week to be kind to yourselves and concentrate on things that were more immediate to your own lives. Hope you enjoyed it!

This week I'm back. Not 100%, but I'm trying for the sake of living out my promise to keep this going for a year.

And here's the challenge for this week:  GIVE MEANINGFUL GIFTS. 

I have no doubt that I am once again preaching to the choir, but I'm going to say it anyway. Christmas is coming. And as you start thinking about what gifts you are going to give this year, practice kindness by thinking honestly about the recipient. What type of gift will truly bring them joy?

For example, you have on your list the person who has everything they really want... or who is actively trying to remove "clutter" from their lives. Buying this person another tie, scarf, or ornamental figurine might allow you to check them off your list... but is that being kind to them? Instead, think about experiences as a gift - how about tickets to the movies, a play, a sporting event? How about a class for a skill they have been wanting to learn?   Or let's suppose you have an avid collector on your list... who collects [fill in the blank]. I'm going to say owls. So instead of another dust-catching but otherwise useless owl figurine, how about making this person something useful with an owl motif? Maybe decorate the cover of an inexpensive journal with owls? Or knit/crochet a scarf with an owl motif in the pattern?  You get the idea.  Give the gift of experiences, of useful items, of hand-made with love, of yourself.

And obviously I'm not expecting this one to be fulfilled within the week. It is just something to keep in mind as you begin your holiday shopping.



6 comments:

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

Sorry to hear you are suffering. Back pain is no joke. Have you ever tried pilates? It's been a blessing to me, after a car accident many years ago. I truly believe it's the thought that counts when it comes to gifts.

scrappyjacky said...

Hope your back is soon better.
I certainly try to match the gift to the recipient....though it's not always easy with teenagers!!

Karen said...

So sorry about the back; that can be so painful. I just started thinking about Christmas. (It's rather late for me!) I have one gift purchased for my daughter and just found the perfect gift for a friend. Just have to wait for it to be published the first of December. I work pretty hard to match gifts to the recipients, but I rely on wish list submitted by the kids for most of their gifts.

Sian said...

I'm very sorry to hear about your back Cheri and hope you continue to feel an improvement over the next few weeks.

I'm about to write my Christmas shopping list tonight.

Barbara Eads said...

I hope your back is "back" to normal really soon. As for me, I've started my Christmas shopping and have a few meaningful gifts. It gets harder and harder to find meaningful things.

Melissa said...

I hope you're feeling better! This is another great challenge. I've been pondering gifts a lot lately ... just don't have many ideas for this year yet, but I like your suggestions!