When I was home for Thanksgiving break I decided to do some Christmas shopping. As I was walking around the mall I began to notice something. As much as I love shopping and buying myself nice things, I enjoy shopping for and helping others a lot more.
You know what they say: Giving is better than receiving. I wholeheartedly believe that to be true. That warm feeling you get when you see someone open the gift you got them or when you give your help to those in need is the greatest. The holiday season is already filled with so much joy and warmth that the whole giving aspect of it makes it a hundred times better.
I read somewhere once that “gift-giving is unselfish concern for the well-being of others.” By giving others gifts or a piece of yourself, it shows others that you are thinking of them and that you care about them. If there’s one thing in life that we all want, it’s to be loved and to be cared for. What better way to show someone you love them than by giving them a gift.
A gift doesn’t necessarily have to be something materialistic, it just has to be genuine. Spending time with your loved ones or a heartfelt letter to your mom telling her how much you appreciate her will go a long way. Chances are that they will like that a lot more than something you bought at the store. The memories you create and laughs you share with the people that surround you will forever be in your memory for you to look back on and reflect.
Gifts can say everything we are not willing or are afraid to say. A gift can be asking for forgiveness or it can say I love you. Regardless of what the reason behind the gift is, the important thing to remember is that you are giving the gift out of the goodness of your heart and because you want to show others that you care.
The mall was filled with people of all ages buying gifts for their loved ones. At one store I walked by a mother and her son trying to pick out the best perfume for the son to give to his girlfriend. At another, I overheard a father telling his daughter that her mother would love the sweater she had gotten her because it was her favorite color. It’s little things like these, people trying to pick out the perfect gift, that makes me believe that there are unselfish and caring people in the world.
Gift giving embodies the holiday spirit with such a force that it’s hard to imagine the holidays without the giving of gifts. We should all strive to make an effort to give more even if it’s not during the holiday season. Everyone has always said that it’s better to give than to receive.
