Gifts not wrapped

On my way home from the Mall of Georgia, I began to think about how our annual family Christmas shopping trip really puts me in the Christmas spirit. I know that the economy is probably as bad as it has ever been in my lifetime. However, I really didn’t get that impression with the traffic, the line winding out of the door at Starbucks, or the people searching for a table in the food court. I know that Christmas is way too commercialized, but I love the sense of excitement that is all around when we’re there. Of course, I probably wouldn’t feel this way if I were actually SHOPPING. I am usually just the designated driver and my hardest decision is what I want to eat.

One source says that four million tons of wrapping paper and shopping bags will be discarded during a typical holiday season. If my Mother were alive, she’d say, “You can’t blame that on me. I recycle.”

She certainly did. It was amusing to our entire family how carefully she would unwrap each gift so that not only the ribbon, but also the paper and box could be stored and reused the next year. There is at least a remnant of that tradition left in our family. We have several boxes and gift bags that have been used many times. I suspect they will be under the tree this Christmas morning. (They probably already are.)

As much as I enjoy finding things for my friends and family, I am convinced that the best gifts that we can give are gifts that you can’t wrap. There are so many of these, but I’ll just list a few that come to mind today:

Give smiles. When you are out and about, spread some cheer of your own. Children in the malls, especially the little ones, are usually all smiles. Give them one back.

Give kind words. Those employed in retail are expected to be courteous and wish you a Merry Christmas, (or something more generic.) Beat them to it! “Merry Christmas” them all first and mean it!

Make the call. Between the price of postage and our busy lifestyle, we probably send fewer Christmas cards than in the past. Look through your phone/address book and call someone. Make several calls. Don’t just call your regular ones. Call someone that is not expecting to hear from you. It will be good for both of you.

Give of your time. Everyone always seems to be so busy. Are we all really that busy? We need to be sure that we save some time to spend with those that we love. If you can, save some time to volunteer for some cause that is important to you. If you volunteer with a loved one it will be a real winner.

Give your undivided attention. I am among the worst at trying to multitask. I was never good at it, but as I get older I get worse at it. When you spend time with your loved ones, give them some time that is not shared with your phone, computer or TV.

Slow down and make memories. I can remember some of my early Christmas presents. I remember my first bicycle, a J.C. Higgins model, and a few other things. Of all the Christmas memories I have, the fondest ones were not about things. They are smells, sounds, and times with loved ones. I didn’t feel that way then, but I certainly do now.

Last week, I was on my way home from work, sitting at a traffic light. A school bus crossed in front of me. I could see that the interior was decorated with wreaths, candy canes and stockings. The driver had written on the inside of the windows, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Of course, that made me smile. I first thought, “When I was growing up, all of the drivers were old farmers who wouldn’t think of decorating their bus.” However, the real impact was the fact that this woman had taken the time to spread real Christmas cheer, truly a gift that cannot be wrapped.

Merry Christmas!