Hi C.,
Straight up, Mamas, you are a fabulous group of women.
Your creativity, sass and pizzazz color the answers
I've read. Ya'll are amazing.
I agree that one's presence is the best gift,
and when I have to, I hold to that.
When I can afford the opportunity to gift,
I might, especially for the little kids
and the elders. Not always though.
There was a time when I was challenging
to cover the basic needs of myself and my kids.
If I loved someone enough to want to gift them,
I would create the time to make construction paper cards.
No kidding, sounds silly, but actually...
I'm an artist. I did some very personal series,
mostly with a nice black ink ballpoint pen
and gifted them to several folks.
Each was different, but similar.
They are all numbered, and signed
because someday, they'll be glad they saved them.
Other years I would buy wooden things
(ornaments, tops, sign plates, animal shapes, boxes, wee pots...)
and paint them with acrylics.
Star wire on a wooden letter painted a solid color,
with a name on it, and a glass bead on the star wire...
Way back in the day
I used to gift them readings
to enrich their spiritual concepts.
Some years I have a fudgefest
and pour pans of fudge for folks
(from wee breadloaf pans, to larger ones, for families)
When I make fudge,
I pray for the folks who will receive it,
stirring in the smoothing out of things;
the appreciation for the sweetness of a moment,
and the melt-in-your-mouth smooth quality
of a ease in relationships.
One of my favorite cards, received for a birthday,
is from a friend living far off, and on a tight budget.
Its a folded piece of construction paper
with a symbol on the front
made with glitter, and glue.
Inside, she wrote of our friendship.
Its been in my keep for 16 years.
And really, I dont remember anything
that anyone DIDNT give me, anyway.
Do you?