As we all know, Christmas gifting can easily become quite a stressful, frustrating and, truth to be told, very polluting story. But what if we were to turn the annual Christmas shopping craze into something completely different with just a small change in perspective and approach?
What if, instead of rushing through one shop after another for the latest trendy material gifts for our loved ones, we reconnected with them through a mindful phone call or conversation, simply checking in with them to see what their current life situation is before deciding what to give them? Chances are, there is something else they need or would appreciate much more than any material gift that can be found in a shop.
For example, if you are looking to give something to parents of small children, perhaps what they are missing the most is quality time as a couple or separately with their respective friends. Something as simple as a hand made voucher for babysitting their children is likely to be the best imaginable gift of all!
If your child or a friend has expressed interest in a new hobby or has a passion for something in particular, gifting a class or a full course that allows them to develop their skills may be a spot on gift! Likewise if they have no clue what they are passionate about but feel curious to explore - There’s no better way to re-discover oneself than trying something completely new!
Similar ways of supporting loved ones in their personal development could include memberships to online platforms like Skillshare or Coursera where they can select among hundreds of courses from talented teachers and world class universities. Local options include memberships to a museum, activity park, art gallery or pretty much anything they enjoy doing!
For someone who has had a rough time financially and is finding it hard to make ends meet at the end of the month, gifting some delicious foods (whether home made or ordered through a local home delivery service) or helping to pay a bill can mean the world.
For someone who is struggling with physical or emotional pain but is finding it hard to prioritise themselves and their own needs, it could be of invaluable support to be gifted an opportunity to see a professional who can help. Knowing that others feel they are worth it might help them to start believing so too.
By making it a tradition to check in with one another, we could replace excessive consumerism trends with thoughtful Christmas giving which truly deepens our connection with one another and brings us closer together.
And only if we, after considering such options, are still struggling to find a gift to that friend that simply has all they need, there are many possibilities to gift something that gives back in one way or another! It could be a donation in their name to a cause that is close to their heart or, if it must be a material gift, it could be one through the purchase of which your money contributes to something meaningful.
For example, in Save The Med’s newly launched Web Shop (shopsavethemed.org), you can find a small selection of unique products such as STM t-shirts for children and adults, hand made ceramic necklaces, locally made shepherd’s knives, organic reusable jute bags and beautifully illustrated marine wildlife posters, and know that 100% of the profit from each product goes towards the funding of projects that focus on the regeneration of the Mediterranean Sea.
It’s time for another MED YOGA session!
On the 12th of December we invite you to the fourth of a series of Morning Yoga & Awareness events that we are organising together with the amazing team from Calm Collective. The events include a yoga session with a sea view and a short talk about Mediterranean marine regeneration. This time we will also bring some of the above mentioned Save the Med merch for those who believe they could find meaningful Christmas gifts for their loved ones among our selection.
We have been kindly given space at La Vista Palmanova water front café for the event, so that we can warm stay inside yet still have a beautiful water front spot. If you’d like to join us, all you need to do is be prompt for 9:30 am, bring a mat, blanket and some water (in reusable bottles please) and a donation of your choice of which 100% will go directly to Save the Med’s projects. La Vista Palmanova is located at c. Martin Ros Garcia 6, Palmanova and will be open straight after for brunch should you like to stay around. We hope to see you there!