It's almost that time of year!
If the pilgrims were able to look ahead and see the proximity in which Thanksgiving and Christmas lie, I believe they would be content with their unforeseen-but-nevertheless-opportune timing.
The latter would not have the same gusto without Turkey Day preceding it; December 25th would lack a whole lot of oomph if not for November’s inherent call for gratitude.
With Thanksgiving, we express our appreciation of the little things, for another year of good health, for guilt-free carbs, and even for that one drunk uncle that can never remember your name. While Christmas does seem to bear a different meaning, courtesy of retail, maybe it doesn't have to.
We assign the holiday with the notion of giving and receiving, pertaining primarily to material goods. There are certainly needs each of us has that doting relatives can provide, but what good does another tie with golf balls serve your father?
Take a step back. Think back on those Christmases past, when you were knee-high to a grasshopper waiting for Santa to arrive as soon as your eyelids shut.
Think of the effort--and guile--required of your parents to maintain such a facade for all those years. They didn't do it because it was fun or because it served any other purpose than making us happy because they love us.
When better than now to return the favor, showing them just how much they mean to us.
Here are five suggestions for "gifts" you can present to your parents this Christmas for a going price of zip.
1. Time
This gift should go without saying, yet… here I am… saying it. Christmas is a holiday where families gather from near and far to spend time with one another. There’s just something about the prospect of being home at the end of December that warms most hearts.
While you may be looking forward to beating your little cousins at Call of Duty or catching up with high school friends you haven’t seen in years, don’t forget to be present with your own parents.
You may see them more than other relatives; you may only partially get along with them; none of that matters. Even setting aside five minutes to talk sports with your old man or tasting the fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies your mom just made.
2. Behavior
It doesn’t matter if you’re the oldest child, the middle child, or the youngest of twelve. One thing every parent wants is to see their children getting along with one another. If you’re an only child, just… don’t beat up your imaginary friend I guess.
No one is agreeable with their siblings 100% of the time—and that’s okay. That’s kind of just how it goes. You butt heads. You argue. You throw a literal cat at the other’s face during a tantrum—still have that scar.
Fighting with a brother or sister doesn’t mean you don’t love them. The opposite is actually quite true. The important thing, come Christmas however, is to treat each other with kindness and patience, if only for your parents’ sake.
This should also include avoiding altercations with your parents. Peace on Earth might be as simple as not arguing over whether eggnog should be considered an actual drink or just thrown into the trash for the general well-being of the public.
3. Something homemade
I'm not suggesting you go out and make a macaroni self-portrait--though I'm not necessarily advising against it either. Just because you've graduated from mud pies and learned to color within the lines does not preclude you from creating your gift.
Parents never outgrow a sense of pride for our accomplishments, no matter the magnitude or difficulty.
That ceramic handprint you made in preschool all by yourself--or, you know, completely by the teacher--is still wrapped carefully in a bin somewhere it cannot be broken, or even on display in some obscure location within their house.
Do you have an unparalleled craftsmanship in carpentry? Perhaps you are the best scrapbooking aficionado your town of 300 has ever seen. Put your talents to use! Make for your parent's something they'll never forget.
A sentiment as simple as designing or constructing something with your mother or father in mind will go a long way. They probably don't even care if it looks how it should--though that is likely a plus. The important thing is you made something specifically for them.
4. Help
This is another gift that should probably go without saying, and, yet, it is so commonly overlooked. If your parents are anything like mine, they have about a hundred projects going at any time--and that is no exaggeration.
Fortunately for you, this creates an ideal opportunity. Lenda hand with chores around the house. Finish that last coat of stain on the new cupboards. It doesn't have to be something extraordinarily cumbersome.
Even just offering to help is worth more to your parents than you or I may ever realize--until we are inevitably in their shoes. Sometimes just knowing you, their child, is willing and available to assist with whatever duties they deem necessary or useful can be an overwhelming rush of positive emotions. I've seen it firsthand.
Surprise them. Do something without being told to, without even asking what can be done to help. Tidy up the living room; cook them a meal for a change. Every little thing makes a difference.
5. Appreciation
My parents have bailed me out of some tough situations this far in my life. Breakups, life changes, not making the sports team after three days of tryouts... the list goes on. This gift, in particular, is all-encompassing--it bleeds into the other four in ways the preceding suggestions cannot, for, it is by this appreciation--as well as your love for your parents--that these other actions gain their depth.
As the age-old saying suggests, actions speak louder than words.
You can tell your parents how grateful you are for all that they do until you are blue in the face, and that is a noble and truly beautiful thing in itself, but showing how great of an impact they have had on you is much more suited for this time of year.
It certainly doesn't hurt to remind them verbally, too, though.