The Goddess Speaks Kendra Elise Ramie

Give a gift that counts: Spend time

We spend all year waiting for the holidays, and once they arrive, in a blink of an eye, they've ended. We often spend our Christmases in shopping malls, or at work pulling overtime hours so that we might be able to afford that extra little something for that someone we hold dear. But as a result of our need to overcompensate, we find ourselves losing sight of what matters. Christmas has become such a give-and-receive routine. What ever happened to the days when all that mattered was spending time with the one you loved?

My boyfriend moved back to Arizona about eight months ago. He moved into his own apartment, started paying his own bills and has been making his own life one step at a time. He has a well-paying job, and has been taking care of his responsibilities. But I know that he has been struggling. He does the best he can and sometimes feels discouraged because there seems to be nothing to show for it yet.

He jokes about wanting a big-screen TV or something like that for Christmas, and then he asks me what I want. And I tell him the truth: "All I want for Christmas is to spend time with the man that I am ever-so-deeply in love with."

I KNOW deep down in my heart he is concerned about getting me something special; something with meaning and value. But why must we always feel the need to show someone monetarily how we feel about them? Is it not enough to enjoy a nice dinner, maybe watch a movie or even just sit around the house together enjoying each other's company?

What is stopping us from breaking our habits? I suggest that this year, we do not let Christmas go unmarked. I propose that we spend less time worrying about what we're going to do and what we are going to buy, and start focusing on the thing that really matters ... TIME! Spend time with the people you love -- it's the greatest gift one could ever give.