I saw a picture on Facebook recently that read: "Black Friday: Because only in America people trample others for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have".
I've always had a strict "No Christmas until after Thanksgiving" rule. Partly because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I hate to lose the enjoyment of it in all the bustle of Christmas, and partly just because I'm not particularly fond of Christmas music and my rule guards me from it for just a couple weeks longer.
But this year I'm breaking my own rule and starting to think about what gifts I will buy for everyone a little earlier. Why? Because this year I've decided the gifts I purchase (at least in part) will not be like the gifts of years past. I'm tired of the cheap plastic toys, the clothes that are outgrown in a few months, the random supplies I bought for someone to clean their car because I couldn't think of anything else.
This year I want to give gifts with meaning. Gifts that will last. I want to give my nieces and nephew a gift that they can someday gift to their children. Why not? That's what people used to do. Each child had a hope chest and they were given gifts not to play with that afternoon, but to put away in their hope chest knowing they'd some day have good use for it. Now, I don't want to spoil the fun of opening up an exciting new toy. But why can't I also give a gift with a little more meaning? I think I can. And I think I will.
But here's the quandary: What do you give a young child now, that they will want to keep and preserve and use 25 or even 50 years from now?
My sister-in-law and I came up with a couple ideas of "timeless" gifts - cookie cutters, loose tea leaf holder, rolling pins. I wanted some more ideas so I started searching the web thinking that surely someone out there has already re-begun the tradition of handing down timeless heirloom gifts. Unfortunately, searching for heirloom gifts was about the most depressing thing I've ever done. It seems if you make a toy out of wood instead of cheap plastic, it's then considered timeless and heirloom quality. You charge 4 times as much for it, and there you go!
Well, I don't exactly want to give my 10 year old niece a wooden rocking horse for Christmas. It would certainly last until she has children some day, since she's not going to use it! But that's not exactly what I was looking for. I also found the idea of making quilts, which is fantastic, but my aunt recently gave all the kids quilts of their own, so that idea is out. Jewelry was another good idea, and something I've added to the list of possibilities... but what about my nephew? He's not going to want a rolling pin (unless I tell him it's a caveman's club) and jewelry is definitely out of the question!
So while I desperately want to give gifts that matter, I'm finding that society is so far removed from the idea, I may be completely on my own as far as coming up with good ideas. If you have any, I'd love to hear them!
