THE BEST GIFT

This has been a rough year. This year took over our lives. We are not able to be among our family and friends without the fear of putting the ones we love in harms way. I has been very scary to be an essential worker with a serious chronic condition. So I have had to dial it back and to give gifts of actual conscience decision to really get gifts that are more thoughtful rather than buy big wows and wants. We all know that this is a holiday that people have seemed to lose there minds when it comes down to wow purchases.

I have learned that of all things those big purchases cannot keep us from falling victim to this very ugly pandemic that is taking our family and friends. So I wanted to do something different. I wanted to show the people I love and care about that it's the little things that keep us together. I didn't go crazy and give them toilet paper and homemade hand sanitizer like I did for their birthdays. Yes, everyone I am that paranoid essential worker. I did stay at home on my day's off making crockpot banana bread from scratch, and lots of cookies but since baking cookies and drinking hot cocoa is played out if you cant do it together. I have decided to go snack crazy, with personal touches.

We aren't going to really get the chance to all be together. I have decided to do holiday drop off's. I can't resist decorating a few Christmas hat's for my teenagers filled with old school toys. Like jacks, tic tac toe, cards ,books, pick up sticks! Yes, I said ol' school. L.O.L I am moving to teenager young adults in the health and beauty aisle. ladies will get bath bombs, facial moisturizer, nail polish, and nail polish remover, foot scrubs, lip gloss, body oil, special lotions, for men and women, deodorants, shower gels, melatonin. I actually found little packages of melatonin gummies and it dawned on me that for a lot of my family members, and close friends we are essential workers and sleep is not coming as easy as we need it. They go real good with a real book in your hand. I found a lot of" Chicken Soup for the Soul" books. I remember back in the days those little books really got me through some rough patches. I have even found old dvd' s, of movies that I remembered it was in the old collection's of the family and friends that I can't wait to see. I found cartoon's movies for my best friends young babies, my grand babies, my little young first grader, that I have yet to see in person. I only get to watch her dance recital from a previously taped performance. I miss my first grand daughter so much. I truly miss how things use to be. I really cannot afford too much online right now. I have gotten so burned by online purchases that I didn't realize it would be coming from China. So definitely see you next year. I am realizing that right now I'm living off the memories that I have that come up in my photo memories. That I can get those memories printed to put in a frame to give to my family and friends. I even found that I could go to my local CVS or Walgreens online and was able to get my favorite pictures off my phone printed for just 6 cents. I actually got Christmas cards that I could send in the mail. I spent 1$ for a box of 20. It then dawned on me that I really haven't bought stamps by the sheet in a minute. I was a little taken back to here that was 9.20$ It was half that if you didn't have a need for 20 stamps. With all of us being separate I can't help but want reach out and share hugs with the customers I serve everyday.

It really feels odd for many people of the younger generation and yes some of us 60's and 70's babies we have forgotten how simple it is to write a sentiment in a card. For less than 30 dollars I was able to reach out to twenty people that I hold near and dear. That was printing out 10 of my favorite pictures, 9.20$ for 20 stamps, a box of 20 very festive Christmas cards from the DOLLARTREE.

We do have a family breakfast as a tradition for Christmas we usually get to wake up with our grandbabies to see the excitement that we once use to see in their parents faces. Things are very different this year. We lost PaPa last month and he won't be present. We don't want Grandma to be alone so the grandbabies and my daughter and her wife will be at grandmas on Christmas day. So breakfast will be on the 19th. Lord only knows I will truly miss our tradition but the has been a year like no other. Money was real tight too. So I had 10 gift bags to make. like I said I was going for snacks and at least 3 personal items just for that person. So for 80$ I put myself to the task of picking out candy for those 10 individuals 40$ dollars worth of personal snack favorites and yes books, coffee mugs, picture frames, toys, journals and plenty of personal hygiene products yes 40$ worth. Yes, I really took my time purchasing theses items. I bought them based on the personalities and the loving times that I do spend wishing we were not living in such unprecedented times. So as my 4 Daughters, my husband , 2 grandbabies, my son and everyone's spouses come together the Saturday before this years Christmas. We will be in each others presence. To spend a few hours sharing our experiences of this years pandemic. We will be ready to eat our green waffles and pancakes, fresh fruit, home fried potatoes sausage, bacon over very strong mimosa's. We will laugh and steal a few hugs as we talk of how we are so ready to put this year to bed.

This has been a very unprecedented year. We are living in a time where it seems that everyone needs to take out time to heal. We have lost alot of security in the way we were accustomed to living and associating with one another. I was not ashamed to go to The DOLLARSTORE and really get to take my time out to get items that were not just thoughtful but personal. There is something for everyone it doesn't always have to be an expensive or outrages purchase to make a person feel the love and appreciation. On Christmas day I'm looking forward to the family coffee and coco zoom calls I will be able to still see my mom, daughter's, and grandbabies. Tis the season to be thankful, grateful, blessed, happy and safe. Love has no price.

LOVE IS THE CHEAPEST MOST EXPENSIVE GIFT TO SHARE