A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.  ~Thomas á Kempis

This is the time of year where people rush to stores to find the perfect gifts for family and friends. It’s a time when you can’t help, but be thoughtful. Unfortunately, you can also feel the pressure to come up with a “great” present. Expectations carry an expense that many can’t afford.

It’s important to remember the point of a gift. A gift is supposed to be from the heart of the giver to the heart of the receiver. To often, we give our gifts from one mind to another. We try to logically decide what is the most impressive  instead of connecting to that place inside us that wants to create an emotion with our gift. Let’s be honest those are the best gifts. We’ve all witnessed a touching act of giving and we all have the ability to create that same emotion in someone else.

It’s great to buy expensive gifts and see people’s eyes light up as they rip open the packaging. But, you know when you’ve touched someone’s heart. I challenge everyone to find one gift that you give from your heart to their heart. The reason is gifts like that not only do something for the receiver, but also for the giver. Be thoughtful in your purchases. Think about what would touch the heart of the person you are buying for.

If you can do that, trust me, your holiday will be a great one and your gift will not soon be forgotten

It isn’t the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.  ~Quoted in The Angels’ Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994