Gifting

Bejeweled                                                                                                              Inez Dunn©2015

December is the season for gifts. Bells are ringing, lights are beaming, and those shiny red cans of sharing are everywhere. Children can't wait to open their gifts, and many adults spend countless hours shopping, buying and wrapping gifts with a shared solidarity that represents our celebration of the coming holidays. Gifts remember can and should come in all forms of the imagination, and sometimes the most unexpected gifts have a history all there own...I'm referring to material things, things we all have excess of or items, objects that we no longer use can become ideal gifts for Homeless Shelters, Women's Organizations, and even agencies that care and provide for our furry friends.  For instance maybe you have a winter coat that you haven't worn in years, or maybe you have too many winter scarves like me! Recently, close friends of mine experienced a burglary in their home. Not only is this kind of invasion a complete violation of privacy, it is an assault of trespass in the most sacred of space. Unsure of what these mindless thieves were after,  electronics were taken and jewelry, clothing? towels,? blankets? and food? (Broccoli from the refrigerator!) Come-on!
So when I heard about all the missing jewelry from this mother and daughter well, I did what any jeweler would do, I emptied out my messy and unorganized jewelry box and scooped-up dozens of my old earrings, necklaces and bracelets and I gladly gave them. What is different about this gift is that these old adornment pieces of mine all have a story. Like a bracelet I really loved at one time but over the years I seldom wore. Or a dangling pair of earrings I made for a special occasion and at the last minute decided they didn't look right on me. So, maybe this last post of 2015 isn't really about the giving of gifts, maybe I'm writing more from the heart on the subject of just giving. Giving because you want to and giving because you can. Maybe today you'll look into your own jewelry box, coat closet, or that top shelf in the garage over-flowing with usable hats and gloves. Maybe you'll wrap up something nicely and hand it to someone standing near a shiny metal can happily, willingly ringing a bell. Season's Greeting to all!!