T’was the Night Before Christmas
by Victoria Freeman
Several years ago I conceived of the best possible Christmas gift for myself and my spouse and possibly for other Naikan-savvy grandparents.
To use the Mad Men cliché, “it is truly a gift that keeps on giving.” It encourages daily doses of thankfulness AND then becomes the perfect present.
Yes, I have heard the grumbling from younger folks, both those to whom I have given birth and those younger friends that I have acquired in the wider world. According to these folks, the grandparents of their children are just hard to purchase gifts for.
In addition, there seems to be some growing cultural imperative that some gifts should come from the actual grandchildren once they’ve passed Pre-K. In the age of frugality, there are just so many possible projects: back scratch coupons, macaroni jewel boxes, framed fridge art, rock ladybugs etc.