Over the past
week, I have been reflecting a great deal upon mindfulness in relation to the
upcoming holiday season. The bustle of the shopping malls, the ever extending
Christmas lists, the threats of “Santa watching”…the hectic nature of this time
of year seems rather disconnected from my new found love of living within the
moment. We are told through
advertisements to buy the happiness of our loved ones through material objects,
a message which is ever more amplified when we have young children in our
lives. The consumerism of the holiday season moves us to create meaning through
the consumption of material objects, leaving us with seemingly little choice in
the matter. How can one move away from this idealistic view of the holiday
season, and towards the arguably historic nature of the holiday season? This
historic nature being meaningful time with family, friends, and colleagues,
with less attention paid to the material goods which we are encouraged to
consume. I posed this question to my family members, and we came to the
conclusion that we needed to change our view of what meaningful time together
looks like. We discussed how this shift could occur without completely
depriving the children in the family of gifts, and our conclusion was this;
create gifts with time, care, and meaning, rather than simply placing a
monetary value upon them.
As a relatively
crafty individual, I relished in this idea of hand created gifts. My first
project was a pair of handmade Moccasins for my mother. As I sewed the pieces
of leather together, I reflected upon my mother, and the amount of love and
care she adds to my life. With each stitch, I came up with something to be
thankful for. By the end of the project, I had created not only a pair of
fantastic Moccasins, but a story of my relationship with my mother. I was
reminded of how lucky I am to have a loving, caring, empathetic mother, whom
has always had my best interests in mind. I went through this same process as I
knit my father a scarf. With each knit and pearl, I reflected upon the life
which my father created for my family, always ensuring that we were happy,
healthy, and thankful for what we had. I compiled these reflections into a
narrative, which I will include with the gifts to all members of my family. I
feel this creates a great deal more meaning than simply buying a gift for those
we love. I feel a great deal more at ease this holiday season, knowing that my
contributions focus upon care, time, and love. I am hoping this tradition
continues in my family!
Submitted by Annelie Nilsson, December 2014
Graduate Intern at Shanti Counselling Centre
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