My family has enjoyed this unusual form of gifting which we call catalog gifts. I wrote this article about it for my church newsletter.
A Different Kind of Gift Giving: “It’s the Thought that Matters.”
Imagine a Christmas when you can give whatever your heart desires to your loved ones. Imagine a holiday when you can be joyous and extravagant beyond your means. Expense is not an issue. My family developed a way to do this. ―It’s the thought that matters.
I used to be annoyed by all the catalogs and paper ads that came before Christmas. Now I look forward to them. My family agreed that we would give pictures from catalogs, ads, and magazines of the things we thought would delight each other. No, it was not a promise for the real goods. It was a chance to give ―the thought of what we wanted to give to touch their heart or tickle their funny bone. Cost was no issue.
We cut out pictures and put them in envelopes with the names of each person on our list. On Christmas morning, we sat in a circle and took turns giving our finds to each other, often with a story about why we chose it. When we were done, each of us felt seen and treasured. That is the best part. It works and is more fun than any of us imagined. What amazed us the most was how fulfilled and satisfied we each felt.
There are no piles of wrappings and ribbons to throw away and it is very easy to take our gifts home. Sometimes we make a collage of our gifts, sometimes we put the pictures on cards and hang them from the tree. There is lots of laughter and on-going conversations about the creative things given. One year my daughter gave her cousin a picture of a room full of applauding people saying, ―These are the people who show up for your next piano concert. She was delighted. Photos of beautiful places become vacation destination gifts. I got Robert Redford (from the Sundance catalog) as an escort to the opera.
My daughter told a male buddy about our Christmas. He couldn’t believe it. ―”What do you mean; you just gave each other pictures from a catalog? That’s ridiculous!! You didn’t give other gifts?”
It does sound ridiculous to many people. You have to try it to experience how fulfilling it is. Sometimes we give small gifts if something seems just right for someone but there is no expectation about that. One year I had Christmas with my cousin’s family in California. They declared only the children would get gifts. I cut out a lot of gift pictures and put an assortment in folders. Each grown-up got a folder and they selected pictures from it to give to others in the room. Even the kids wanted to join in. People had a lot of fun and everyone felt gifted.
Last year I combined ―thought giving with gifts from the Alternative Christmas at church. I love the weavings of Mayan Hands – the place mats, runners and bags are favorites. I have given my grandchildren animals from the Heifer Project. If you do want to give something tangible and charitable, Alternative Christmas offers thoughtful possibilities and wonderful ways to respond to the needs in the world as well as gifting those you love.
Let me know if you try this or a variation on the theme. I love to hear the stories. May you experience the joy of giving in ways that are fulfilling this holiday season.