Gifts of Gratitude

This year too many people have to really scale back their gift giving due to the crazy financial mess still evolving. I used to love picking out that perfect gift for all my family and friends, then watch them open the present and share in their delight. Now I live far far away from all siblings so the postage itself gets very expensive. This will be the first year I’m giving wishes and sending prayers instead of precious collectibles. The Christmas card itself becomes a personal gift of gratitude for the recipient with decorative stamps and colorful writing. I know I always appreciate a hand-written message inside a beautiful sentimental card.  

Of course there are many ways to express gratitude to those we love. A favorite CD or DVD, a work of art, a great book or an electronic gadget always make nice gifts. Since it’s getting close to that big day, I recommend using Amazon with their free shipping through December 17^th.  After that express shipping is available. How about a pocket camcorder for that special person. Everyone loves to take video these days, and there are some really good ones that don't cost a lot of money. The FlipMinoHD Camcorder holds 60 minutes of HD-quality video (1280 x 720 resolution at 30 frames per second; 16:9 widescreen) on 4 GB of built-in memory.

As Groucho Marks once said, "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." Even in this age of electronic reading, a good solid book that one holds and turns the pages is a true pleasure. There's something about savoring each and every word in a well-written story that keeps the mind active and the imagination inspired. The most recent book I've read that kept me turning the pages was Dan Brown's latest "The Lost Symbol." His incredible knowledge of historical facts and places blended with the superb weaving of mystery and magic hooks the reader immediately. It's almost impossible to put it down. All of his books have the same magic and pull. Any of them will make a most appreciated gift.

This is also a great book gift for anyone who has an inkling of the self-searching wanderlust in them. Elizabeth Gilbert takes a year to journey through Italy, India and then Indonesia to find her bliss and recover from a terrible divorce and attachment to her material world. The book is full of pithy, heartfelt renderings of gut-wrenching discoveries about life, love and the pursuit of lightness. You'll laugh and cry and want to travel immediately to all these places. 

An excellent gift for any of your techie friends is a subscription to Lynda.com. They offer training videos for every kind of software, from HTML to word processing, desktop publishing, photoshop, you name it. It's affordable and accessible any time of day. The instructors are all experts in their fields and take you step-by-step in the learning process. I highly recommend these tutorials. Please check out their offerings HERE.

The list of great gifts is endless, and overwhelming sometimes. Any mall in America offers millions of choices. If you want just a few prime choices, you could go to a specialized, personalized gift site. Yes, it is my gift site, and you can find original art, book ideas, health aids, Spiritual Cinema DVDs, and other gift ideas. Please take a look and perhaps choose a "Thought Ball" or a hand-turned wooden bowl for your loved one. There is also a blog which highlights many elements of showing gratitude, practicing the Attitude of Gratitude, and integrating Gratitude into one's life to achieve a more fulfilling experience. However you decide to express your gratitude this season; by giving "dream" gifts or by simply writing a heartfelt note of appreciation, the sentiment will have a profound effect on the recipient. Remember the old wise verse, "It is better to give than to receive." I say the giving itself is a gift.