When you think of the holidays what memories warm your heart?
When I was in college, I signed up for a kayaking class and quickly fell in love with the sport. I loved the feeling of gliding on top of the water with cattails towering above me. I loved to hear the gentle swish my paddle made as I propelled myself across the water. Sometimes it was so still that it looked like I was kayaking through the clouds on a bright blue sky, other times we went in whitewater and I felt like I was on a roller coaster. I wanted my own boat so much but I didn’t think that there was any way to get one because they were so expensive.
The Christmas following that semester started out as a normal, wonderful Christmas. We all opened gifts, laughed and enjoyed each other company. After all the presents were opened my dad brought out a big box and gave it to me. I opened it up and pulled out random neoprene things and a couple of kayak skirts. I was perplexed because the things were nice but useless without a boat. I smiled and told my parents thanks, they asked me what they were and I explained. Then, they said something like; “So you need a boat to go with that? Maybe your real gift was too big to fit under the tree.” I grabbed my snow boots and ran outside in my pajamas just like I was 5! There in the backyard was my boat! It was the same boat I had used in my kayaking class all semester and had fallen in love with. To me, it was Christmas magic pure and simple. I loved that boat so much. With it, I was able to go to the lake or river anytime I wanted. I used it tons and created many wonderful memories in it.
That Christmas, my parents gave me more than an old kayak, they gave me the experience of watching the sun dip into a pond that I was paddling across, they gave me the feeling of a stillness so complete that I could hear the grass rustle on a slight breeze, they gave me the thrill of accomplishment when I went through a big rapid and didn’t tip over. They gave me that and many more memories. That is why I still think of that boat when people ask about my favorite Christmas. Their gift lasted for years and even though I don’t use it anymore I still feel happy when I remember my boat.
That’s one of the greatest things about giving an experience rather than a gift. The memories that are created don’t fade away, they don’t get lost or broken, they are cherished and benefit the receiver forever.
When I asked my children about their favorite Christmas they all say it was the one when I bought them soft snuggly sheets and snuck into their rooms on Christmas eve and made their beds with them. They loved the feeling they had as they fell asleep on Christmas Eve and they want to recreate the experience again. None of us even remember the other gifts they got that year but we all remember the experience we had that Christmas eve.
This season, as you shop for your loved ones think about ways you can give them experiences that will last a lifetime.
This is excellent!!