As I was opening my gifts from my family – I had a quiet moment of reflection of how much thought goes into it if it’s done from a ‘good’ place as appose to duty bound. For the first time my teenage son who has been working over the holidays since he left school was able to ‘buy’ us gifts. The effort was touching and it warmed my heart when I peeled back the package and it was genuinely what I would’ve liked to have read and it was ‘spot on’ in terms of what I was interested in. Whilst I know that christmas has become more commercialised and I must admit it jars me when stuff starts appearing in the shops in late Sept /Oct. However having said that it’s also potentially a time that we can truly think about those we care about and what we want to do about it (if any).
‘Forcing’ myself to purchase gifts with thought and care not only focuses me to think about what that person means to me but more importantly to ‘notice’ them – what makes them laugh, what are they interested in, what flavoured their lives throughout the year. Then I go shop!
This year has been particularly testing in the world we inhabit intolerance and anxiety have become frequently used sentiments of the day. Talking ‘nonsense’ about purchasing gifts is not only about adding to the economy of it – it’s the giving of your time, your attention, generosity of spirit (if you have it) which is all free. At a recent poetry event in Redfern last month – A US poet left me with this thought, which I hope will take me into the new year harvesting that generosity.
” What seed do we birth in others – I see you we can be everyone’s smile”
by Sonia Renee Taylor