“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” -Kahlil Gibran
We all have countless holiday memories. Most of them center around our faith in Jesus Christ and his birth, family, and traditions.
Very few childhood memories actually include the gifts we received. So what type of gifts can we give to our children that they will never forget? What gifts will truly impact their lives and change them forever?
To that end, here is a list of gifts your children will never forget.
1. Love. …but the greatest of these is love.
2. Hope. Hope is knowing and believing that things will get better and improve. It creates strength, endurance, and resolve. And in the desperately difficult times of life, it calls us to press onward.
3. Spirituality. Faith elevates our view of the universe, our world, and our lives. We would be wise to instill into our kids that they are more than just flesh and blood taking up space. They are also made of mind, heart, soul, and will. And decisions in their life should be based on more than just what everyone else with flesh and blood is doing.
4. A Welcoming Home. To know that you can always come home is among the sweetest and most life-giving assurances in all the world. Is your home breathing life into your child?
5. Optimism. Pessimists don’t change the world. Optimists do.
6. Lifelong Learning. A passion for learning is different from just studying to earn a grade or please teachers. It begins in the home. So read, ask questions, analyze, and expose. In other words, learn to love learning yourself.
7. Contentment. The need for more is contagious. Therefore, one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is an appreciation for being content with what they have… but not with who they are.
8. Undivided Attention. Maybe this imagery will be helpful: Disconnect to Connect.
9. Encouragement. Words are powerful. They can create or they can destroy. The simple words that you choose to speak today can offer encouragement and positive thoughts to another child. Or your words can send them further into despair. So choose them carefully.
10. Sense of Humor. Laugh with your children everyday… for your sake and theirs.
11. Honesty/Integrity. Children who learn the value and importance of honesty at a young age have a far greater opportunity to become honest adults. And honest adults who deal truthfully with others tend to feel better about themselves, enjoy their lives more, and sleep better at night.
12. Time. The gift of time is the one gift you can never get back or take back. So think carefully about who (or what) is getting yours.