Give Yourself the Gift of Being Present
Gifts will be forgotten, but memories will last for a lifetime. I have never been intrigued by gifts, even as a child. Sure, I remember making lists for Santa and waking up early to see what was under the tree. But what I enjoyed most was the excitement and joy the holiday brought.
Every year, I looked forward to digging out The Temptations' Christmas cassette tape. My sisters and I would dance and sing along to the tunes of the Temptations as we decorated the tree. My favorites songs were Silent Night and Some Day at Christmas.
Besides decorating the Christmas tree with my sisters, my earliest childhood memory about the holidays was making ornaments and applesauce, on the last day of school, right before winter break in the 2nd grade.
I spent the day laughing and having fun. The students passed around different shapes of wooden ornaments to decorate. There were candy canes, presents, nutcrackers, reindeers and rocking horses. I painted them in festive colors of red, green, black, and gold. To make them pop, I added hints of glitter. Our teacher, Mrs. Glover, taught us how to make applesauce that year too, so the smell of apples and cinnamon wafted through the air.
It had snowed throughout the day, and a soft white layer of snow was covering the ground, by the time the school bell rung. My sister, Christie, and I made snow angels as we cut through the schoolyard on our way home.
I share these stories to say I don't remember most of the gifts I got for Christmas over the years. The Christmas memories I reminisce about are the moments where I laughed hard and danced long. I remember the people who shared those times with me. This year, give yourself the gift of being present. Spend time doing the things that will make your heart smile, and enjoy making memories with the ones you love. Happy Holidays from ARG Coaching & Consulting Group!
About Author
Angela Garmon, with ARG Coaching and Consulting Group, works with leaders, who are overwhelmed and frustrated with changes in their organizations. These leaders want to bring their team together and produce results. Connect with us to discuss some viable solutions to move your team closer to their goals cultivate@argccgroup.com.
