Let’s Give Ourselves and Others a Warm Fuzzy Christmas

Contact Katrina at President@vadsociety.ca

Far to often when the Holidays and end of year comes around, we see our society jump into the rat race of shopping, spending and giving well beyond their means. So Manny expectations to keep up with the Jones’. Yet for the majority of us living with disabilities or on limited funds, we may feel this could become an additional layer of segregation.

Is there ways to change these feelings that can arise in us so we can see the glass as half full rather then half empty? Sometimes I believe we can alter our perception of this time of year by choosing to adjust our vision to see the opportunity it brings us rather than hinders us with.

With the basics of a pen and paper, we can touch the people in our lives through letters. Today most of the mail we receive is bills or advertisement. A heart felt letter can make a difference in someones’ day, holiday and end of year reflection.

I also love to find methods of gifting heart felt gifts without spending any funds. One of my favourite tools to use has always been a mason jar or small box. I love to think of the person on my list and ways to personally surprise them. Here are some ideas that you may wish to try this year:

• Create an Inspirational jar of positive messages to lift their day with quotes and affirmations this can be the sunshine for down days with daily pick you ups when you need a lift, a Blue’s Be Gone jar that shows your love all year long.
• Create a jar of messages of all the reasons you love them, little love notes of how they lifted your feelings or share something they did that you were extremely grateful for
• Create a jar of blessings you see in your family or friends
• Create a wish jar with personal wishes you have for them or warm fuzzy messages for their day
• Create a Scripture Jar with your favourite messages to pass on to a friend
• Create a Date Night Jar of things you would love to do and enjoy together
• Create a Happy Memory Jar that is filled with Beautiful little pieces of paper that are all blank that they can use to start the new year by keeping track of amazing memories, then review them the following year to discover all the blessings you have experienced.
• Fill the jar or box with your favourite recipes providing the treat inside and the recipe on the outside

There are so many things you can put in a jar or box. I also love to think of songs that remind me of them and go down to the library to download a few that can be shared with a positive note.

Another thing I love to do is send a tea bag of a nice flavour and send an invitation to call me to share a tea as we catch up on the many topics we love to share.

A box of coupons that are made with love and have no expiry date for things that you may be gifted in that a friend could benefit from No matter what you decide to create, as you decorate it and put it all together, they will always now it was a gift filled with your love and will mean more than what is on sale at the store in the Holiday rush. So drop the pressure and expectations our society puts on us an rise to the unique and personal creative opportunities to say something special this year.

Big Hugs of Gratitude from all the Blessings shared across the Province remember that the small things we do for each other today can make a big difference for tomorrow. Start sending your positive ripple out today. Happy Holidays to you all. Katrina