Holiday Gifts Exchanges are kindness acts, do some

It is that wonderful (why do we always use that word to describe the feeling?) time of year when frustration and fun, chaos and content go hand-in-hand with family, friends and your inner child. We call it shopping, celebrating, giving and receiving with get-togethers, parties and gift-exchanges. This coming up December 24th takes three different cultures under its 'holy night' as Christmas Eve, Chanukah Eve, and Kwanzaa Eve use commercialism as a venue to deliver acts of kindness as 'commercialism' does not avoid any holiday where gift-exchanging is concerned.

Most people see holiday holy day & times through a religious and/or biblical lens and hopefully even moreso using the clarity of their individual spirituality in those lenses to appreciate real compasssion. To give a gift to someone there must be someone who made that gift to give. I am an artist and writer by nature and within me are the creative energies that flow onto note tablets, canvas bound easels, and computer screens with both photographic and manipulation techniques tools at my fingertips.

I recall how good it feels (felt) to create something by hand if I was nearly broke (which is most of the time after mortgage, and the other 'imp' bills are attended to)but able to bring a smile to someones face who was more broke and destitute than I was, or felt. I would find old tinsel in the box marked 'christmas goods', delapitaded un-fixable ornaments, flimsy snow decals and hanging decorations, lots of them un-used and ready to be be made into 'something'. I even found silken threads of various colors fitting for the holiday decorating. If I had a few dollars in my savings jar, I went and bought inexpensive bags of potpourri and fragrance oils and incenses to create tranquil-inducing' small gifts.

I suppose gift-giving is just a small way of saying thank you for sharing the existence with me on this planet called earth and if it is a way to induce tranquility in one's chaos and frustration, mine slips away. No matter what belief or religious ideation you embrace dear to your heart, my suggestions for your gift exchange does not have to be a traumatic experience in which you stress over giving a friend who may not be a Christian, a gift that would impose your belief on them. Don't sweat it as there are thousands of gifts out here such as inspirational,maybe even for the fisher-person, for that sexy lady who wants to be warm, the puzzle lovers, those who love wooden blocks, the outdoors family, or finally that great guy who has everything, wants nothing, but needs everything-- the Basix !

I find that a traditional gift-exchange can be exciting for the holiday whatever belief the culture has the people in it follow, to appreciate a reward for being here in this existence with you is kindness shown, felt and delivered to another, YEY !