I have a nine-year old niece that lives in London. She is pretty, she is smart, she has a wicked sense of humor, and she shares my love of chocolate. She was also recently diagnosed with autism. For most of her childhood she has been bullied and as a result, has become very shy around children her age. She recently begged her mum to allow her to make a YouTube account and we saw her come alive. Online she is the confident funny little girl that we know her to be, but her classmates have never met. Everyday she checks her views, likes, and subscriptions and gets so excited at the smallest change.
She is too shy to tell anyone at school about this account so after getting permission from my sister, I posted this story on the Havre de Grace Buy Nothing Page. I asked if anyone had some free time, if they would be willing to hit like on one of her tutorials or maybe show them to their kids that are into Minecraft. I know that if she saw some new views or likes, she would be thrilled.
In a matter of hours, she had hundreds of views, tons of encouraging comments, and over fifty new subscribers! A group focused on local acts of kindness shared the post and they started helping too.
My sister texted me to tell me that my niece was staring at her phone stimming (she flexes her fingers repeatedly when she is excited) and singing Lizzo’s “Feeling Good as Hell” at the top of her lungs while her big brother kept staring at her changing statistics in disbelief. My sister, in comparison, was upstairs sobbing because she was so happy to see her little girl proud of something that created and published.
All I could think about was how this group of people, most of whom I had never met, took the time out of their day to watch videos, that they likely had no interest in, to inspire confidence in a little girl that lives thousands of miles away.
They got nothing in return but each and everyone of those strangers gave my sister and niece a gift that I never could have bought for them or replicated. They gave my niece a gift of validation and confidence that will likely stay with her much longer than the newest video game or the priciest toy ever could, and it didn’t cost a cent.
If the experience with my sister and niece taught me anything, it is that the best gifts are thoughtful, given with love, and without expectation.
Taren
We are currently in the throws of the gift giving season and I often find myself questioning if I am gifting for the right reason? I, like many Americans, am guilty of running on the consumer hamster wheel of guilt, overspending, and panic. Is this a big enough gift? Is this expensive enough? Did I get this person enough gifts? How on earth will I pay for all these gifts?!
If the experience with my sister and niece taught me anything, it is that the best gifts are thoughtful, given with love, and without expectation. Often, these gifts are home-made.
Home-made gifts are a great way to edit and simplify your Christmas list. Every year I add a home-made component to all my gifts because I always want the recipient to know that I spent time making something special for them, because they are special to me.
This year I decided on handmade oyster shell ornaments. I made them with gifted oyster shells, gold leaf, and wooden beads. I originally saw similar ornaments on Etsy and fell in love with the juxtaposition of the rough oyster shells and ornate gold leaf. I thought it would be cute if I spelled out a Christmas message with each ornament set, below is “JOY.”
Once I made the ornaments, it was time to box them up. When you are giving home-made gifts, I like to think the packaging is just as important as the gift itself. Taking a couple extra minutes to add some fabric ribbon, fresh greens, or ornaments helps to take your gift to the next level and make the recipient extra excited to open it.
I am so excited to give these out this year! After all, that really IS the best part about Christmas isn’t it? If the idea of making all of your Christmas presents seems daunting, start off with someone small for neighbors or close friends. There are so many great ideas on the internet that you can find something to fit any skill set or budget. Here are some of my favorite ideas from the web for you to try at home!
Three Easy DIY Gift Ideas
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