This Christmas the most sought after gift from Santa for most kids is probably an Xbox, PlayStation, laptop, smart watch, or IPhone. The gifts that give the most long term joy however, are those that have memories attached. The gifts that can entice a feeling are those gifts that keep on giving.
Many of our gifts sold at Christmas time, are those that spark joy. It is this feeling of joy that we look for with all of our gifts, and what we seek to create at this special time of the year.
The greatest gifts are not wrapped in paper, they are wrapped in love.
We asked our 4 and 5 year old kids what they thought Christmas was all about and they replied reflectively, “We get gifts if you’re good, and give gifts to people if they’re good” , and “We get presents from Santa!”, and while technically they are correct, this is only the material side of Christmas. It is up to us as parents to teach our kids the true meaning of Christmas.
Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.
Let’s have a closer look into the true spirit of giving.
There is a classic short story about two people, who each sacrificed their most loved possessions to be able to afford the perfect gift to give each other. The wife cut and sold her gorgeous long hair to buy her husband a platinum chain for his watch. In return, he sold his most loved watch to buy his wife a beautiful set of combs for her gorgeous long hair. Their love for each other, far outweighed what the other viewed as their most treasured possession.
The thought and love between these two people is just one example of what the true gift of giving is - to give without expectation of self-gain, to give with love in your heart.
Fun Fact: People who are thoughtful and generous towards other people are shown to be less depressed, anxious and feel more connected to the community around them.
Giving is not a logical action but rather one of emotion. It is the thought of the gift that brings a smile to your own face as well as the person you give the gift to. These gifts don’t have to be bought, they can be handmade, the gift of time spent with someone who needs some company, doing some volunteer work to benefit other people, placing a gift under the giving tree for someone less fortunate or donating to our struggling farmers and their families at a time that they need our support.
It’s not about how much we give, but how much love we put into giving – Mother Teresa
There are many ways that you can give that do not require any money to be spent. You can give a compliment, a handpicked flower, a nice note left for someone. One of the most powerful gifts you can give to someone, is a smile. The little gifts of love and kindness can make someone’s day and lift their spirits, and this in return will lift your own spirit.
No-one has ever become poor by giving – Anne Frank
Giving gifts is important for human interaction; it can help define relationships, strengthen bonds with friends, colleagues and family and is a way that you can show your gratitude for the people you care about and let them know how important they are to you.
Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have - Jim Rohn
Gift giving is more than just giving a gift; it is a demonstration of your feelings.
One of the most popular, most loved holiday stories which demonstrates the gift of giving is A Christmas Carol , which follows the character Ebenezer Scrooge through his losses as a result of his greed and the lessons that he finally learns from three unlikely visitors who each take him on a journey outside his comfort zone, and finally to the true meaning of Christmas.
Scrooge drives away his love Belle as she cannot stand to stay with him because she has fallen to second priority in his life – after his love and need for money. One night, Scrooge receives three visitors during his sleep …
The first visitor Scrooge encounters is the ghost of Christmas past to take Scrooge on a look back to Christmases past. By the end of their look back on Scrooges life he becomes filled with sadness and regret and learns that the simple things in life like friendships, love and laughter hold great value and learning. This visit begins Scrooge’s transformation.
The Ghost of Christmas Present next appears to Scrooge and takes him to his employee’s house where Scrooge watches the poor, but happy family celebrate their Christmas, despite the hardships of poor health, and a lack of possessions. Although the family is poor, they are far happier than Scrooge because they have the love of their family and friends.
The third ghost is that of Christmas Future. This ghost takes Scrooge on a journey of misery, sadness and loneliness, and shows Scrooge the only future he will have if he does not change his miserly ways.
Scrooge then wakes up in his bedroom and vows to live by the lessons that he has learnt from the three ghosts. He immediately starts doing right by the people he has wronged, and immediately feels the joy in his heart that this brings, leading him to want to spread this joy through further acts of kindness to all around him.
Fun Fact: The word Scrooge started as the name for a character in A Christmas Carol and now it is a word that is commonly used in everyday language as a word for someone who is selfish and does not like giving or parting with any money.
The festive season is so much more than parties and material gift giving. With just one act of kindness you can inspire others to go out and plant seeds of happiness along their way.
This Christmas, be kind. Give with your heart, and may your Christmas be filled with the true meaning of this beautiful time, warming your heart all year long.
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https://www.thevintagetoybox.com.au/blog/moss-vale-festive-foraging-2019