This Christmas, I am trying to give a present that costs nothing but gives so much.
It's the gift of TIME.
I recently got an email about the SoKind Registry which has as their mission: "SoKind is a registry
service that encourages the giving of homemade gifts, charitable donations, secondhand goods,
experiences, time, day-of-event help, and more. Here's to more fun and less stuff!"
I noticed the word "time". I started to register on there and then realized that it would be too late to send it to anyone this time of year. But I kept thinking of that word-TIME.
One of my BFF's-Tiffani-gave me an iTunes gift card for my birthday but on it she wrote "Good for 1 free date night in with your hubby. Bring kids to us!" Awesome? Yes. Thoughtful? Yes. Sweet and kind and caring? Yes to all three.
Did I mention that she has 4 children of her own with another baby on the way?
This TIME thing got me thinking.
I wanted to give the gift of time as a gift this Christmas and as of today...
I've had a chance to give this gift to 3 friends and it's been quite a blessing to me as well....more details in a minute.
But here are a few options if you are considering this:
Offer your time to a loved one/friend to just go someplace for coffee, lunch, a movie...just the two of you.
Offer your time to help a loved one or friend with a job around their home.
Offer your time to watch someone's children so they can go out on a much needed date night.
Offer your time to pick up something from the grocery store for someone who can't get out in the snow/frigid cold or have small children or a newborn at home.
Offer your time to just go and visit someone who just needs...a visit....maybe it's someone in the hospital or someone in a Nursing Home or someone who doesn't get a lot of visitors. There's probably someone in your own family or someone in your neighborhood.
There are more options than this...the possibilities are endless.
Here's one way I've tried it and it has been quite a hit and you can try it too if you know someone who would love this gift:
The gift of Christmas shopping alone...yep....alone.
I know what it is like to try to shop with children...young children...one might call it a challenge.
So, I made the offer to a few friends to watch their children while they go Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, or just to the post office...ALONE.
I was afraid no one would take me up on the offer. I thought "They may not believe me."
I had one friend, one of my BFF's, respond right away and took me up on it this past Monday afternoon.
I knew I wouldn't be going anywhere this afternoon with a predicted high of 28 degrees so at nap time, I sent out a text to those who hadn't taken me up on the offer yet. I asked who wanted to drop off their kids today at 3:00 and do some shopping. I had two people respond with "YES!"
Phew! They know I am serious.
With 8 kiddos in my house today, it sounded a little like a cross between day care and after school care and my kids had a blast.
I gotta tell you...all the things that are such a blessing to me about this...
-my children are entertained for at least 2 hours which means they watch no television.
-the time in the winter before Daddy gets home around 6:15 is usually verrrryyyyyyyyy looooonnnngggg but with other children here, it doesn't seem quite sooo long.
-I get to chat with my sweet friends when they come to pick up their kiddos.
If you want to pull this particular option off, whether you are watching 1 children or 10, make sure you have some kind of snack in the house. I'm finding that making a big pot of popcorn on the stove top goes a long way and is such a treat.
Yes, it may get loud in your house, and toys may be everywhere...but in the end, it's such a gift to your friends who have young ones.
If you decide to give this priceless gift, know what time you can give and what time you cannot give. Know your limits. If you cannot paint to save your life, then don't offer time to help someone paint a room. Know what you can handle and what will push your buttons but also be willing to stretch yourself a little.
Oh and some of the best times to offer time are the exact times you may be thinking "I need the gift of time myself today."
If you want to start behaving a certain way, you cannot wait until you start thinking that way. You have to start by behaving the way you want to think. So, if you are the type of person who thinks "I don't feel like giving my time to others right now...I will just wait till I start feeling like it and then I will act on it"...then you will be waiting till the cows come home. For reals, y'all. It will never happen. Just do it...offer your time even when it feels a little uncomfortable and you may be surprised...you may start thinking of it more and more because you have now actually done it. So, I digress...more on those above thoughts in another post.
One more thought...giving the gift of time is such an awesome option and you can actually dress it up a little. I haven't been able to do this yet but I plan on it-
-Find a pretty note card or type up in a pretty font something along the lines of "This is the Gift of Time. Good for 1 (2, 3, etc.) day(s)(hour/hours, morning, afternoon, evening, etc) to spend (visiting you, watching your children, picking up things for you, a coffee date, helping with a job in your house, etc.) Love,_______"
Then put it in a small box and wrap it up in some fun Christmas wrap and hand deliver to the recipient. You cannot go wrong with the gift of time.
