This Season

With the interminable election season behind us, we now deal with the aftermath; who is disappointed, scared and apprehensive and who is thrilled with the results. The good news is that we can finally stop dreading the ugly ads and rhetoric and get on with the sparkling days that make up the holiday season…before the new year and political stuff begins all over again in what has become an unending cycle.

No matter what you celebrate or if you celebrate anything at all, I think we can all agree that this is the season of gatherings around the table for feasts; glittering lights almost everywhere you look; friends and loved ones dropping by for no reason other than to say ‘I love you.’ It’s a time of year when we take stock, count our blessings (which are many) and resolve to be our best and healthiest selves in the new year (again…). It’s a time of fun and family for many of us. Amid the suffering, crises and messy world affairs around us, sometimes we want to simply sit back and think happy thoughts.

I thought it was a good idea to take stock. When I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. I didn’t realize this until I was a teenager. We always had food on the table and a roof over our heads. We had clean clothes and nice shoes. Both my parents worked and my mother and grandmother cooked a delicious dinner each and every night from fresh ingredients for us and any extended family (and friends) who came to our table.

Our holidays were filled with family, friends, fun and food. Gifts? Some, but not so many. We were taught to value our time together because you never knew how much time any of us had left. In a family where illness came often and young, time was always the best gift. And in these uncertain times, we must cherish any moment of happiness we can grab.

So as the holiday season ramps up, I got to thinking about gifts…those I would like to give and to receive. My list is short, but the gifts are priceless.

Time

I plan to give the gift of time to anyone who wants to spend it with me. During the pandemic, I vowed that if we ever got to meet up with people again, I would never be too busy to drop everything and meet a beloved friend for a coffee or lunch or whatever. I have been pretty true to that promise. But I want to take it further. My gift to those I love best is my time…as much of it that I can give.

And my ideal gift to me from those I love best would also be time. There is nothing I love more than being with the people I love; to enjoy a meal, a glass of wine, a coffee, a walk, a workout, a concert or a movie.

Time is precious gift and I plan to give mine freely to those I love.

From My Hands

Next to time, one of my favorite gifts to give comes from my kitchen. From home-baked cookies to applesauce, fruit preserves, pickles, home-baked quick breads; cake, cookie and bread mixes that I put together, a dinner party at my place or yours; framed drawings I sketch for you to hang in your home.

Kindness

Finally, one of my favorite gifts to give is help and to extend kindness. I was raised to be of service to people; to leave the world better than I found it. So I love giving gifts of help. People close to us are as busy as we are, sometimes busier. So consider the gift of relaxation. Take their grocery list and do the shopping; arrange for their house to be cleaned; for them to get a manicure or pedicure while you babysit; take their packages to the post office or their car to the car wash; drop off a cooked dinner for them to enjoy at their leisure.

Paying attention to the people close to us allows us to really see them and when you see them, you can see a need…and you can fill that need, simply, easily…and with kindness.

The place you won’t find me looking for the perfect gift is in a mall, online or shopping center, where chain stores con us into buying all the latest and greatest stuff to add to our already excessive amounts of stuff. If that brings you holiday joy, then that is how you should spend you precious time.

For me, it will be spent across the table from a person I hold dear, chatting over cups of espresso and home-baked cookies. Now, more than ever, as we face an uncertain future, hold those you love close; be kind to everyone you meet; extend your hand in help and hold out hope.

Do not allow hate to take up residence in your heart. Remember that love is all there is.