Ghosts of Christmas past

I’ve been reading on a page I like on Facebook of someone’s making of Christmas gifts for family that speaks of heritage, and love.    For me those are the best kind of gifts to receive.  It also makes me remember some that I have given, to others that mean more to them than was my original intent.  I’ve given my mother hand prints made of cement of the little people for her garden(they now sit in mine).  she spoke often of her “box of rocks”, which made me chuckle and even now brings a smile to my face as I remember it.  I gifted an ex son-in-law pictures in an album when he was in the marines…I mailed it in with the little people’s gifts, so he didn’t expect it…why did I do that?  well I didn’t want them..they meant nothing to me..wasn’t my service time..but was a time that had some memories for him, so they were sent…yeah I like to surprise people at times.  I like to give gifts that have meaning to them..cookbooks with old family recipes, old pictures of family long since passed refinished and framed…gifts of crafting things for those people on my list that do such things, books that they have been lusting after but either lacked funds to get them or could not find(I have my ways).  For me it’s not about the gift for the sake of giving one.  I want the recipient to remember that I thought enough to remember what they like, who they are as a person and what is more likely to touch them .  I’m not about the religious aspect of the time of the year..as a pagan, Yule would be more in step, but the gift giving applies to both.  What matters to me is the finding of that perfect gift for someone.  Gift certificates to their favorite restaurants, spas, appts to their beautician…Things that they enjoy.  It doesn’t take a lot of money to provide the perfect gift, but it does require thought and time, and really…that is part of the gift itself.