https://pixabay.com/photos/card-gift-gift-wrap-tag-1835447/
At the end of this season, some of us end up feeling a certain emptiness inside. And perhaps this emptiness occurs because we didn't prepare for this time of year beforehand. It's a time of great frenzy, and we don't stop. We're worried about getting our to-do list done, not forgetting anyone or anything. We don't want to leave anything important undone, or anything we think we've done. But is there anything so important that if we forgot to do it, it would have such “catastrophic” consequences? Of course not, and it's unlikely that anyone would have a task so important that it depended solely on themselves.
At this time of year, we want the people we care about to feel a little bit of our attention. We want them to feel that we are thinking of them, and that it is not just a formality. But do we give them the attention they deserve? Is the way we do it the way we should be doing it? And the final question is: should it only be at this time of year that we think of them?
The people who are important to us are almost certainly not only on our minds at Christmas time, when we exchange gifts, and at New Year's Eve and New Year's greetings. But how should we proceed so that we don't rush around from one place to another, how should we be more present, with quality time, and less time spent looking for something that ends up replacing our physical presence? Sometimes, it is not possible for us to be physically in the same place, and so, in addition to gifts, we can think about offering something that the person can keep with them to revisit later (such as a video or a letter...).
How long has it been since you wrote a letter? One of those that you put in the mail and send by regular post? Nowadays, it's a real rarity; and this year, for the first time in many years, I haven't managed to write a single letter or postcard.
The greatest gift we can give to others is our presence. Nothing can replace it, nor can anything replace us. Let's try to think more about what really matters, and not find ways to compensate for our inability to listen to others throughout the year. Let's challenge others to have a coffee or tea with us, let's talk about normal, mundane things, about sad things, it's all part of life... Life isn't just about beautiful things and smooth conversations. Let's embrace all these moments as important, because in fact they all are.
Be the best version of yourselves... always!
Bem Hajam🍀
Free image from Pixabay.com
Original text written by me in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)
