Thursday, December 17, 2009

best gift of all

If you've got a quilter or stamper on your list, I have an idea for a great gift. How about giving them the gift of time?

What the world needs now is time, more time. Time is something we all need more of. When my crafting shifts into high gear (like right about now, as I add more last minute gifts to my roster) I don't want to stop to make dinner or do laundry or clean my car. Little jobs around the house go begging as I chain myself to my sewing machine. (I'd tell you what I'm making but that would ruin the surprise. Come back after the New Year.)

So make a little coupon book for your favorite fabric artist, whether family or friend. Volunteer to pick up the kids at school. Bake for the next bake sale. Go visit Grandma in the nursing home. Give your quilter a break. Tell her you'll do her grocery shopping. Put air in her tires. Oh, check her oil. She'd love that.

Pay the bills for a change. Put new batteries in her smoke alarms. Take over her duties at the next guild meeting. Make her a casserole and put it in her freezer. Buy her flowers and put them on the kitchen table.

Shine her shoes. Iron her shirts. Change the sheets. Vacuum. Clean the toilets. Shovel the walk. Aerate the lawn.

You don't need to do every thing on this list. Just pick one or two things that she (or he) usually does and do it. No fanfare, no need for gratitude.

She'll appreciate every little thing that you do. And you might just get a great gift out of the deal.

Can you add to my list?

6 comments:

Camille Minichino said...

I think you've covered it, Terri! Except maybe, read them a bedtime story!
Don't forget to tell us what you're making!

signlady217 said...

Wrap and label gifts. Sign/address Christmas cards. Take/pick up packages at the post office. Babysit so shopping can get finished. (My best friends had 4 kids, so I've helped them a lot over the years!) Have a Merry Christmas everybody!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful ideas. Son & husband are getting IOUs as part of their Xmas piles! And they're mostly "do" things.

Betty Hechtman said...

Nice idea for a gift. I know what you mean about getting so involved wih making something that things like dinner and laundry hardly seem to matter.

Linda O. Johnston said...

I've written time travel stories in the past for just this reason, Terri. But since we can't really turn back time, it's wonderful to use our time to help others make the best use of theirs.

Terri Thayer said...

Thanks, sign lady. Good tips!