I hope that Fall has been treating you well wherever you are. The cool weather has settled in on us here on the East Coast and I have a hard time believing it is already the week of Thanksgiving (and in turn the week of the Michigan / Ohio State football game). I love this time of year. I love tradition and family and excuses to spend time with people that I love and don't see often enough. There is something so beautiful about the season of thankfulness and giving that it wraps us all in it's shining lights and makes the world a little brighter if even only for a short while.
I also love this time of year for another reason: gifts. I LOVE giving gifts. I'm fairly certain I picked this up from my mom as she is the ultimate gift-giver. My life has always been full of "just because" or "saw this and thought you'd like it" gifts. Her thoughtfulness is always impressive and her gifts are always heartwarming. I'm also convinced that she Christmas shops all year long as she sees things that are "just perfect" for someone and holds onto them until the Holiday's (my problem would be in the holding onto them part; I want to give every gift RIGHT. NOW.) There is something so beautiful and wonderful about gifts and surprises and the chance to make the people around you feel special with such a simple act.
Heading into Black Friday and the real rush of Holiday shopping I wanted to to share my plans with you on how I plan to give my gifts this year in hopes that you might be inspired to do a little more giving back as well. This year, I am tying my love for gift-giving and my love for charity together to make the act of giving twice as sweet. The initial goal is to shop only from charities and non-profits who are selling products to raise funds and support causes like hunger, orphans and providing medical care to people all over the world. Many charitable organizations now sell products made in the communities that they are serving and by purchasing from them you are supporting that persons work as well as the work that the organization is doing. Simply put, you're single purchase is giving many times: to the person the gift is for, the person and community that made the gift, and the organization who is working on that cause and serving those people. I can tell you already what a joy it has been to shop in this way. I have shared email correspondence with people in far off countries that are so thankful to be hearing from me and I have already been the recipient of kindness from these strangers based on my support for their causes. Since I've hand-picked the causes that are nearest and dearest to my heart, I am beyond happy to support them in this way and we already have both come out winners.
In the rare instances that I'm unable to do this for someone, I have committed to only supporting small, local businesses and individual artists by attending art fairs and shopping on sites like www.etsy.com. This way, the money that I am spending is going directly to individual families, artists, and communities where I am connected. You read that correctly; I will not be spending a single dollar this year at any malls or chain stores like Target, Kohl's etc..
You see, I think we've gotten the Holiday's all mixed up. Our priorities have shifted from spending time with people that we love and simple acts of giving to spending too much money and finding the "perfect gift at any price". This year, the big retailers have made it even worse by taking away from rare and precious family time and opening their doors Thanksgiving day. No sale or special price is worth the time we're losing searching out perfect gifts when the real gift we can give others is the gift of ourselves.
I hope you'll consider finding more ways to give back this Holiday season. It may not be as convenient as running out to your local mall, but I can promise you that it is much more fulfilling to shop in a way that is truly making a difference around the world and right in the community where you are living. And, more importantly, I hope that you'll find more time for loved ones this year and less time for seeking out a perfect gift. I can assure you, the best gift you can ever offer the world is the gift of yourself: of your time, your passions, your skills, and your heart. After all, the world needs those things much more than it needs more stuff.
A Christmas picture of Gavin and Coco from last year. I'm not sure there is anyone who loves Christmas more than this kid!
