Positively Present's 2017 Holiday Gift Guide!

 

 

After encountering hours of Black Friday commercials (love you, Hallmark Channel, but I could do without the incessant selling!) and watching a video entitled "How Likely Are You to Die in a Black Friday Sale?," it's pretty hard for me to deny that the holiday shopping season is upon us.

I've always been a huge fan of gift-giving, but, the older I get, the less impressed I am by the ever-growing fervor of holiday shopping. It's a wonderful feeling to find a perfect gift for someone you care about, but so much of this gift-giving feels forced, feels like it's becoming less of a want to and more of a have to. 

It could just be my age (after all, this is my 35th Christmas) or maybe I'm just changing what matters most to me, but gift-giving feels different now than it once did. For this reason, I decided to make a holiday gift guide of my own. No sales. No special deals. Just gifts that you can give anytime, and to almost anyone. 

 

for the friend who feels uncertain right now : encouragement

for any single person you encounter today : love

for the incredibly frustrating family member : compassion

for the boss or colleagues or who count on you : energy

for the parent or sibling who's done you wrong : forgiveness

for the friend or partner who remains faithful : trust

for the stranger filled with road rage or hostility : empathy

for the child who wants to show you what s/he can: attentiveness

for the partner who is always there by your side : intimacy

for the person who's beliefs seem almost insane : tolerance

for the introvert (or teen) who would love alone time : privacy

for the coworker who goes above and beyond : recognition

for the best friend who's had a really tough year : comfort

for yourself, because you deserve this, always : self-love

for the one you haven't spoken to in far too long : honesty

for the go-getter who appears to be a bit stuck : inspiration

for the person who asks you what you really think : advice

for the passing stranger in the hallway or on the street : connection

for the loved one who gives his or her heart to you : passion

for those who are so different from you in so many ways : acceptance

for the ones you want to cling too tightly to : independence

for those you've kept at a distance for no valid reason : affection

for the children who want to feel like they're all grown up : responsibility

for the person who cuts you off in line or on the road : kindness

for the pal who isn't yet sure which path s/he should take : reassurance

for the child (or pet. or adult.) that makes you feel crazy sometimes : patience

for the person who always finds a way to make time for you : time

for the one you've worked with who's looking for a new opportunity : endorsement

for the partner you may have been neglecting a little bit lately : romance

for the person (or Virgo) who's always, always on time : punctuality

for the friend you always do the exact same thing with every time : adventure

for the person who is rushing or speeding or in your way : consideration

for the ones who are heartbroken or hurting or all alone : tenderness

for the loved one who has never, ever stopped lifting you up : support

for the fellow human beings, who are just doing the best they can : vulnerability

 

Of course, most of of us (including me!) will still buy physical gifts for those we love, and there's certainly nothing wrong with gift-giving. (In fact, I wouldn't be at all mad if you wanted to gift someone a copy of The Positively Present Guide to Life or the Every Day Matters 2018 Diary or Gratitude or Compassion or Living in the Moment or Forgiveness...) But I hope this post has inspired you to think outside the box when it comes to gift-giving, to remember the wise words from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: "Maybe," the Grinch thought, "Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."