{"id":380,"date":"2013-12-03T10:49:44","date_gmt":"2013-12-03T18:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/?p=380"},"modified":"2013-12-03T11:26:39","modified_gmt":"2013-12-03T19:26:39","slug":"the-greatest-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/?p=380","title":{"rendered":"The Greatest Gift"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ready? Set. Go!!!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Christmas and Hanukkah are fast approaching. You have probably been bombarded with advertisers telling you how much money you can save if you spend! \u00a0Layaway has been resurrected and you can do all your shopping online. Your email and mailbox are competing for your retail attention. There are decorations, trees, candles, and food to buy. Plus, the presents which are expected to be given and received, especially when it comes to children.<\/p>\n

\"\"We are conditioned \u201cto buy\u201d gifts for holidays. \u00a0However, it should not create financial, emotional or physical hardship (thank goodness for gift cards). \u00a0We shouldn\u2019t have to get someone a present because it is expected! Nor should we anticipate a present because the advertisers imply that it is a reflection of our personal value. \u00a0And the closer the relationship the higher the pressure or price tag! \u00a0How many of us are really going to buy an Audi for Christmas?<\/p>\n

So if we are going to succumb to the overwhelming pressure of the gift giving, let\u2019s at least categorize a few in order to provide perspective.<\/p>\n

The \u201cHAVE TO\u201d Gift –<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This category is for the politically correct. \u00a0This is more about the \u201cwho\u201d than the \u201cwhat.\u201d \u00a0These could be your children\u2019s teacher, employees, vendors, or community contacts such as your postman or manicurist. \u00a0It could be the usual Starbucks gift card or the mug that tells them they are the greatest. \u00a0They may or may not expect an acknowledgement but you feel compelled even when you don\u2019t want to or know them particularly well.<\/p>\n

The \u201cSTUFF\u201d Gift –<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"This gift is given out of desire to give. But there is frustration as to what to give. \u00a0These are the gifts we might wander around aimlessly in search of something that they may want or like. It might even be something we want them to have or use…but they won\u2019t. \u00a0They might wear it or use it once, like a funky tie or green sweater, before it finds it away into closet oblivion. Or it goes straight to the re-gift pile. Know what I am talking about…?<\/p>\n

The \u201cCONSUMABLE\u201d Gift – <\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are some unique benefits to this gift. \u00a0Practical placement and years of cleaning them are non-existent. You don\u2019t have to worry about the stuffed moose head fitting in with your decor. \u00a0Another perk is that it can be enjoyed with the giver and others such as a box of See\u2019s Candies or a bottle of wine. \u00a0Giving or getting something deliciously homemade is special because we know the care and effort that went into the preparation (provided it\u2019s not fruitcake).\"\"<\/p>\n

For example, one year, I gratefully received several casseroles to put in the freezer for when I was too tired to cook!!! \u00a0Someone actually noticed that as a working mother with a family I might not want to deal with dinner. \u00a0It was the thought behind the effort that truly touched my heart and it made my life just a bit easier that year.<\/p>\n

The \u201cWIN, WIN, WIN\u201d Gift –<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cWhat do your mean?\u201d you ask. \u00a0These are gifts that are given that include you! These presents most importantly include time together doing something fun! Tickets to the theatre, ball game, movie or a leisurely dinner out can encompass several benefits. \u00a0This ends up with high emotional value because (hopefully) the gift is geared toward the receiver. \u00a0Don\u2019t give your spouse tickets to football or a musical if it is not their interest. \u00a0The time shared during the activity, and the memory of the shared experience can potentially increase relationship satisfaction.<\/p>\n

The \u201cUNKNOWN\u201d Gift –<\/strong><\/h2>\n

These are in the \u201cRandom Acts of Kindness\u201d category. \u00a0It is a demonstration of thoughtfulness that truly touches the heart of another. \u00a0This happened last year when a young women gave up something she wanted to purchase for herself (magic rain boots) in order for someone else (me) to buy them for her daughter. \u00a0She was not asked but offered because they were to be a gift for someone else! \u00a0This was the highlight of the Holiday season for me. \u00a0She has no idea how this impacted me or how much my daughter loves her magic rain boots!<\/p>\n

\u201cHEART\u201d Gifts –<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You will know when you give or get one! \u00a0You will be excited either way and you won\u2019t forget it. They represent something personal and they are special.<\/p>\n

\"\"Gifts from the heart demonstrate the connection in the relationship and have an incredible amount of meaning, like a love letter or the passing down of a family heirloom. \u00a0We value the sentiment and intimacy behind the chosen article or thought. \u00a0It might be some type of memento of a shared experience or a reminder of the strength of your relationship.<\/p>\n

Connection<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I mature, I realize that as lovely as it is to receive a surprise, to open the unknown present and be wowed by a thoughtful choosing of an item, is not the most important aspect of life. \u00a0The greatest gift we have to give to each other is \u201crelationship.\u201d \u00a0It might be a family member, friend, neighbor or a coworker. \u00a0It could even be the sweet calming connection between you and your pet.\"\"<\/p>\n

Relationship entails connection on some type of emotional level. There is an investment in time and energy. \u00a0And, there are benefits such as minimizing loneliness and a positive correlation to being healthy. \u00a0The greatest gift we can give and receive is the willingness to care and be relevant to another.<\/p>\n

Thank you for allowing me with connect to you in some small way. \u00a0May you enjoy all of your holidays and have a wonderful New Year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ready? Set. Go!!! Christmas and Hanukkah are fast approaching. You have probably been bombarded with advertisers telling you how much money you can save if you spend! \u00a0Layaway has been resurrected and you can do all your shopping online. Your email and mailbox are competing for your retail attention. There are decorations, trees, candles, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laurarothafel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}