Presents For Christmas
February 4, 2010
The Dilemma
In all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, there are usually two major stumbling blocks on your shopping list, men and grandparents. While we try to remain optimistic about the holidays, there are certain worries that we often have difficulty getting past.
This one big day is so important for us that everyone likes to receive gifts. Grandparents can be particularly difficult to shop for and we often want to spend a lot of money to show our appreciation for all they’ve done for us.
Congregate at Grandma’s
For most of us, our family celebrations of Christmas are held at our grandparent’s home. If they are elderly, they may have difficulty braving bad weather, and sometimes they are simply unable to travel. It is however, the best possible time to spend time with your grandparents. Try to make it a quality time.
Changing needs
When we age, often our wants and needs change with it. Money matters less than ever before and we are normally more comfortable in our own skin. The best we can hope for is that our retirement funds allow us to pay our bills and keep us comfortable. Material things usually matter less to us. Time is no longer on our side and we want to share our experiences with our families. We would rather talk with our friends and family more than anything else. All of these things together make our grandparents more difficult to buy Christmas gifts for. Or does it?
What to do
Since our grandparents or our elderly parents have always been the ones to raise us to the best of their ability and provide for our needs as best they can, we often feel we owe them. However, we need to change our attitudes with their changing wants and needs. We need to put ourselves in their shoes and consider what we would really like to have if the situation was reversed. Here are some ideas for gifts for our elders, see if any of these ideas will help you in your decision making during this holiday season.
Don’t forget something as simple as a Christmas card. The card arriving in the mail will let them know you are thinking of them. As simple as it is, you can really brighten their day and bring cheerful smiles, with a delightful card and some simple sentiments inside. Even a silly home made card that reflects some special memory you have of them will be a very heartwarming surprise.
Maybe this year you can give them a matching scarf and hat, or a matching pairs of slippers for Christmas. You can make or purchase these, but they will be able to use them on cold winter nights or when they venture out into the garden together. As we age, we often lose some of our ability to retain body heat, so anything you can do to help them stay warm will always be appreciated. Sleepwear is usually a good choice. Should the occasion arise for a trip to the hospital, it’s always good to have new pajamas.
Also make every effort to think of non material things to gift to your elders. Give them your love, care for them and attend to their need for comfort. You will miss them when they are gone, don’t miss precious time you can spend with them now.
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