Presents

I have talked about labeling and wrapping presents. Now, I want to address how the presents themselves are one of my favorite things.
At one point I used to spend the better part of the year buying things for people in my life and storing them until Christmas. This was a suggestion from my favorite Grandmother. She bought things from the clearance rack and stored them until Christmas. My Grandmother is one of the wisest women I know.
If I saw something, like an owl for my mother, I bought it. Before Black Friday, I would take inventory of the gifts, and make a list of the holes I needed to fill. I remember once I had all of my Christmas shopping done in September, so I didn't have to get anything else.
Now, we live life in a "rolling closet," and things are so different. I still enjoy finding something at one of our stops that I believe will be enjoyed and buying it. Sadly we don't always have the cashflow to do that, so many times I just make a note of where something was I would like to get. Being able to give my mother-in-law something from the southwest for her southwest bedroom is nice.
One thing this life has taught me is the one most important gift anyone can give is themselves. Our time, and our energy is something no one else can give. We have missed out on time with our grandparents, our parents, our children and our grandchildren. We cannot do anything about these missed opportunities. However, we can make the most of any time we can carve.
When you are making your gift list, remember to include yourself as a gift to those close to you. You are a gift that will forever be treasured.