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The Write Gift: How to Make a Gift They'll TreasureCopyright © 2008-2009 Rochelle MelanderIt’s that time of year again—the holiday shopping season. In a perfect world, a gift indicates how much we value a relationship. Instead, it may demonstrate how little we know someone. When our son was two, we bought him a pile of presents for Christmas. He opened one—an alphabet puzzle—and played happily with it for two hours. After asking about his interest in the teetering pile of wrapped gifts—none—we piled them in a laundry basket and stored them in the basement for another day. Had we thought more about our son and his need for simplicity and order instead of our need to shower him with gifts, we could have had a more sane holiday season. We would not have spent money or time on all that shopping and wrapping. Since that Christmas, I’ve questioned the value of giving presents to anyone. Most of us are flooded with stuff. Adding one more thing to the pile seems silly, unless we know what kind of stuff someone needs, wants, or loves. Many of us face an additional dilemma this year—we don’t have the money to purchase gifts. Maybe it’s time for the write gift—a present that we make with some paper, time, and our imagination. The write gifts can be created quickly and without a lot of expense. Because they are made to suit the recipient, they are guaranteed to be a hit. Take an afternoon or two to create the write gift for a friend or family member. The Gift Box Several years ago, my best friend from college gave me a gift box stuffed full of folded slips of paper. Each piece of paper held a memory of our college days, a quote, or words of encouragement. The gift box still sits on my bookshelf. Once a year, I take it down and read through the slips. Her gift never fails to inspire and encourage me. You can do the same for someone you love. Here’s how: The Journal One year, I made my husband a journal of encouragement. I filled it with stories of my favorite memories, traits I love about him, and inspiring quotes. I used rubber stamps to help fill the blank spaces. I read about one family who wrote questions in a journal for their grandparents. The questions asked for stories and information. A year later they received the same journal from their grandparents—and it was filled with their personal, memorable stories. What could you do with a small, blank journal? Here are some ideas: The Wall Hanging This year I helped a group of teens create a one-of-a-kind wall hanging for a mentor. We created a “She is” poem for a who had taught the teens about books and gardening. I gave the teens three categories and asked them to find words for each: describe this woman on the outside (brown-eyed); the inside (exuberant); and find words that name her roles (daughter, mentor). We spent an hour brainstorming and searching the thesaurus—writing down our favorite words from each category. When we were done, the young people scribed the poem into this format: She is . . . words that describe the outside. She is . . . words that describe the inside. She is . . . words that name roles. She is NAME. To make the wall hanging, we used student-grade stretched cotton canvas prepared with Gesso. On that, the young people wrote the poem with multi-colored acrylic paint pens. The whole project cost less than $25 to put together. The Gift Certificate Book As children, we used to make stacks of gift certificates and hand them out to our parents and grandparents. Think about the free services you could offer a spouse, child, or parent and put together your stack of gift certificates. Your services might include: make cookies together, play a game, a back rub, or even a hug. This is a quick and easy gift that brings fun for the rest of the year! Finally If writing a gift box or a book seems too difficult, write a thank you letter to someone you love. In it, mention all of the qualities you appreciate about the person and end with a statement of gratitude for his or her presence in your life. In the end, your family and friends remember the gifts that express you and your feelings for them. That’s why creating and giving the write gift can never fail. Try it and see! About The Author:
*** Digital Reprint Rights *** *** Author Notification *** We ask that you notify the author of publication of his or her work. Rochelle Melander can be reached at: rochelle@rightnowcoach.com *** Print Publication Reprint Rights *** If you desire to publish this article in a PRINT publication, you must contact the author directly for Print Permission at: rochelle@rightnowcoach.com
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