Gifts

I was asked to write the opening letter for our December newsletter for the MOMS Club, and Shae suggested I also share/post my letter here.  So, here it is:

Dear Moms,

December is crazy busy month for everyone. Half of you probably won’t even have time to read this opening letter. At my house December is our most hectic month. We celebrate both Christmas and Chanukah, as well as Teddy’s birthday (Dec. 28). Add in our wedding anniversary (Dec. 20), and our annual trip to Florida with my in-laws (the full week prior to Christmas) and you have a pretty insane few weeks. And don’t forget the holiday parties with friends and families. Finding nice clothes for the children (hard), finding nice clothes for me (even harder considering my ever changing “mom body”), planning a birthday party, making cupcakes, attending parties, baking cookies, sending out holiday cards, keeping the schedule straight, all while hopefully keeping up with the regular daily tasks- it can feel most days like I am treading water just to keep my head up. And this year I will be doing all of it with a new baby and a very opinionated almost 3-year-old. I am getting anxious just typing this.

And then there are THE GIFTS. Birthday gifts. Anniversary gifts. Christmas and Chanukah gifts. For my husband. My children. My parents. Siblings. In-laws. Nieces. Nephews. Friends. It is overwhelming. I vaguely remember the times before children, when I could spend hours at the mall, casually looking for the perfect gift. Now I am lucky if I remember to get the gift, let alone wrap it so it is pretty. I love putting thought into a gift with meaning and sentiment. I especially love to make gifts when I can. I want to celebrate because I have so much in my life to be celebrated. And of course I want my children to have special memories of holidays. But how can I possibly do it all, the way that I want to do it... in just one insane month?

And then it hits me. If I spend all of my time and energy focusing on gifts this year, not only will I be drained (and broke) but I will miss out on so much. So this year, instead of focusing on the material gifts I want to give, I am choosing to focus on the gifts I already have in my life. My husband. My home. My friends and family. The ability to be a stay-at- home mom. And the biggest gift of all... my children. They are a gift I have wanted my entire life. And a gift that for a long time I was not sure, for a multitude of reasons, I would ever have. My path to becoming a mommy has been a difficult one, but every step along the way led me to the two most beautiful gifts I have ever received in my life.

Every day that I get to be their mommy is truly a gift.

So this year, instead of giving them a zillion presents, I am going to give them the gift they want and need most: my love and undivided attention. I vow that instead of getting caught up in the craziness, I will make sure that we laugh and play together each day. And I will do my best to be mindful and present with them. My intention is for us to create memories that lay a foundation so to my boys December is not a month of craziness. But a month of laughter, joy, celebration, and love. A month where we spend time with our friends and our family. Because long after the ipads, video games, legos, and latest toy fads have gone out of style, the memories of being together and of feeling loved and cherished are what they will remember. I hope they know that they are the most valuable gift I have ever been given and I want them to feel the love and gratitude that I have for them. So I challenge you to do the same this month. Regardless of how hectic your December is.

And please, whatever you do, don’t give me a gift! 

Lisette