What do you remember about Christmases past? Crazy board games with the cousins? Promising your mother you won’t take the dog tobogganing? Trying to build a bigger and better snow fort than last year?
I remember our first Christmas at Silver Star, outside of Vernon. It was almost 100% predictable. My eight-year-old nephew and I promised to do “just the circuit” on snowshoe but, inevitably, we got lost, arriving back in the nick of time as my brother was dialling search and rescue.
Last year, I thought I would break with tradition. Instead of decorating a store-bought gingerbread kit with my niece and nephew, I prepared a gingerbread nativity scene, complete with natural food colouring and Mini-Wheats for haystacks. Auntie was excited.
The red colouring was beet juice and (it took a lot of time and patience to create a more-than-pink-looking king’s robe, camel saddle and frankincense gift box). So, when visiting the family early last month, my dear nephew kindly requested, “Auntie, this year when we do the gingerbread, let’s stick to chemical food colouring.”
Memory making is always more fun and usually longer lasting than acquiring material things. In my September column, I mentioned the Story of Stuff (storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/) about how our consumer lifestyle affects not only the environment but, also, workers’ health around the world. So when shopping for loved ones this season, consider giving a different kind of gift this year — one that inspires to live healthier, makes the world a better place, supports good people and companies, creates less waste and, of course, spreads joy.
Sometimes, the reason we may have difficulty choosing the perfect gift is perhaps because we already possess too much stuff. Truly thoughtful gifts can be those new experiences that inspire, educate, entertain, nourish, even pamper — those that leave positive lasting impressions.
You and I vote with our money and every dollar we spend is a vote of support for something. This year, think outside the gift box and give a gift that creates life-giving experiences.
Here are some ideas for ever-lasting gifts:
• Charity gift catalogues: We are spoiled for choice to help those in greater need than ourselves. Some of my favourites include Samaritan’s Purse, Compassion Canada and Christian Blind Missions. One year, I gave my brother part of a water buffalo — he didn’t have to ask which part.
• Experiential gifts: Feed the soul — and support local artists — by enjoying arts and culture; the mind, with knowledge-building opportunities; the body, with getting outside. Examples could be concert/theatre tickets, ski/symphony season passes, a workshop series, music/language lessons, or make your own gift certificates, such as “Lunch date with Jane at your favourite bistro/crêperie.” Metro Vancouver began its Create Memories, Not Garbage campaign in 2011 and continues to provide lots of good information at www.metrovancouver.org/christmas.
• Handmade or heirloom: My mom loves creating. Some of her recent Christmas creations included silk pillowcases, colourful book covers, natural moth repellent “spice sachets” and dress-up clothes for the granddaughter and her friends. How do you know something will really last? When it already has. Passing on a family heirloom or something you cherish is sure to be treasured.
• Gift of time: The possibilities are endless: a day of gardening, a night of child-minding, a weekend of dog-sitting, an afternoon of closet purging. Help with pickling, jamming and/or canning would surely guarantee wonderful memories while sharing life-giving knowledge.
Above all, enjoy spreading the joy this season.
--Melissa Chaun of Port Moody is an ecologist with a passion for all things sustainable. She has a certificate in Sustainable Community Development, volunteers on various city committees and is currently co-ordinating the monthly meetings for Tri-City Greendrinks. Her column runs monthly.
