Giving Intangible Gifts

Bringing back the true meaning of Christmas- Love & Care

It seems that Christmas has become all about buying the best toys for your kids and the most expensive accessories for your significant other. Even though material things are nice, they’re not really true tokens of love and affection. Buying gifts just teaches us that there’s nothing deeper than that during Christmas, which simply isn’t true. In the end, those gifts end up collecting dust and we never use them again.

This season, do something different. Gift your loved one’s experience and love. That’s bound to shape them and show them how much you appreciate them for sure.

1. Give a home-cooked meal

Let’s be honest now, how often do you get to cook for the people you love and actually enjoy it during the year? Instead of doing Christmas at your parents’ or your partner’s parents’ house, why not make dinner at your place? Your and your partner’s parents work hard too, and they miss having their kids and grandkids around.

They’ve taken care of you their whole lives, and now it’s your turn to give back. Use your mother’s special recipe and let your dad help you with setting up the oven. Not only will this make the dinner more special, but it will also impress your parents and show them how much you care.

The truth is, parents, don’t really care for material Christmas gifts. All they want is to be a part of your life and to see you happy. That’s exactly why giving them a home-cooked meal is the perfect gift this season. The sheer effort and love you put into the meal will make their whole year. On top of all of this, remember that a family that eats together stays together.

2. Giving new experiences

Your friends deserve some love, too. Even if you don’t spend every day together, you’re still up to date with their lives and know exactly what could make their whole year. Instead of giving them something material, give them something that will definitely improve their life. New experiences will definitely help them grow and turn their life for the better.

That friend that’s been talking about meeting someone new should receive dance lessons. That one who’s bored with themselves should get cooking lessons. The one who needs to get out of their comfort zone should be introduced to indoor rock climbing. Whatever your friends need, there’s surely an experience that will allow them to do it.

Not only will you be a good friend for listening to what they actually need, but you’ll also make a real difference in their lives. They’ll always remember the turning point which made their life go up and the reason they started growing as a person. This is bound to strengthen your relationships, too.

3. The gift of quality time

Christmas is all about family, yet it seems like family always comes last. You may work hard to give your kids the life they deserve, but all they know is that you’re never around. Instead of buying them expensive toys, spend some quality time with your kids.

Take them out for ice cream (who cares if it’s winter, it will be an even more memorable event!), play their favorite games with them, and most importantly- talk to them. Showing your kid that you care about them starts with actively taking an interest in their life and their interests.

Children love Christmas for one other reason than just the whole family being together, though. You might be their idol, but their favorite person at the moment is definitely Santa Clause. Waking up to an empty Christmas tree can and will make your kids sad and make them think they weren’t good this year.

So, even though the primary thing you should gift your kids is love and affection, throwing in children’s Christmas hampers or some other small gift won’t hurt. In fact, it will give you an opportunity to open presents as a family, create cute home movies, and fill the whole day with excitement and laughter. Make some hot cocoa and find a family movie for later, and you’ve got the perfect day ahead of you.

4. Lend a hand

Finally, there’s one other way you can give back. No matter how involved you are with your community, Christmas is the perfect time to give back to it. Your whole life is in your community and the contributions of others let you live the life you love. That’s exactly why you owe it to yourself to contribute to that same community. There are those less fortunate that rely on you and others like you to have a warm and safe Christmas.

There’s no excuse not to lend a hand around this time of year. Volunteering and helping around the community won’t be hard, as there are a lot of volunteering opportunities this time of year. As well as feeling amazing for doing a good deed, you’ll also get to see the heart-warming result of your actions.

Thanks to you, a sad child will finally smile, a homeless person won’t go to bed hungry, and an animal might spend Christmas with their new family. Not only will you be helping the community, but you’ll also get to meet amazing people along the way. This can all make you appreciate life more, making volunteering a gift for you as well as your community.

Conclusion

As you can see, experience and love can prove to be the best gifts you can give to someone you love. Whether it’s your significant other, your friends, or your kids, they’ll be over the moon with the attention and love you showered them with. Working all year means that we don’t have a lot of time to spend with our dearest ones, and Christmas time is the perfect time of year to show them you haven’t forgotten anyone in the chaos that is adult life.