Various outlets have been encouraging people to start their Christmas shopping early due to the global supply chain disruption and the fact that it does not seem it will be fixed in time for the Holidays season. Maybe this is the year we take a leaf from Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the classics written to inspire us and remind us what Christmas is all about.
My hope is that this year we raise the quality of our gifts. Given that buying what is in-style, or what advertisements have convinced us we must have is simply not possible; this year we may actually stop and think of more meaningful gifts.
I have always appreciated when someone gives me a gift card to a local or chain coffee shop. The gift represents more than the product, it is a treat to quality time by myself or I could turn it into the gift that keeps giving by treating someone to a cup of coffee with me. Genius idea. But the gift can go further. I recently started putting together gifts that represented more than the material object. I wanted something more meaningful and thoughtful.
Now I gift bags or packages filled with everything that may constitute quality time. I start with a bag of coffee and add things of meaning for the person who I am giving it to. For example, a bag of coffee, plus a good book, and a box of cookies (bought or baked by you) is the type of gift that will warm everyone’s heart.
For your writer friends, perhaps a bag of coffee, one of those specialty notebooks they may not buy for themselves, and a set of fine pens. You are encouraging and supporting their talent in a gentle and touching way.
For outdoorsy friends, a bag of coffee with camping mugs or wood (perhaps the easy to lit type) for a fire may constitute not only quality time for themselves but it is something they can invite other people to join in on.
Imagine making a donation in someone's name and having a certificate of such arrive at their home with a bag of coffee. Think of a cause and non-profit they might particularly care about. Gifting fair-trade coffee alone covers the social action as you are supporting farming families abroad with every purchase.
Dropping flowers and a coffee bag on someone's doorstep is most likely going to brighten anyone’s day. It doesn’t even have to be exclusively romantic. This gesture can go a long way for your mom, grandmother, sisters, aunts, any supportive friend or someone you know may be going through a tough time and may appreciate the kind gesture.
This is a very short list. Coffee may be a generic item, but you are saving someone the trouble of going out and buying it from themselves; in addition to adding a sentiment of specialty, uniqueness, and thoughtfulness to something as routine and ordinary as a cup of coffee. That is the thing: coffee is a habit for many of us, but that does not take away the fact that it can still provide a meaningful and impactful moment in your day. Those are the types of gifts we should be looking into this year.