by Neena Strichart
With time and money running more than short for holiday gift shopping, many folks are desperately grabbing for not the perfect gift — but any gift! Please stop and think a moment before buying just any old random item to wrap and stick under the Christmas tree. My motto is “Don’t do unto others what you wouldn’t want done unto you.”
Last year, my dear sweet mom made it more than clear that she didn’t want any more “things.” No bubble bath for her — she doesn’t own a tub; please no perfume — she has all the Shalimar she could ever use; and please, no more decorator pillows or lap blankets, note cards or stationery. She especially asked for no magazine subscriptions — she gets enough reading material including junk-mail catalogs to keep her endlessly entertained.
With all of that in mind, I want to remind our readers to think thoughtfully of your seniors before bestowing presents on them. Don’t further clutter their lives with stuff. Most of these folks would rather have time with you, their loved ones, than to have you spend money on more junk that they don’t need.
How about buying season tickets to a local theatre like Long Beach Playhouse, Musical Theatre West or the Carpenter Center and taking your loving senior family members with you to see some live entertainment on a regular basis? Think about offers to gas up Grandma’s car or take it for a car wash. How about going to the driving range with Grandpa? How about buying a brick in Signal Hill’s Hilltop Park with your loved one’s name emblazoned for all to see!? Call (562) 989-7330 for details. Just a thought.
This year we gave Mom her gift early. We bought her a unit from greatcall.com. It’s kind of like a hybrid of a “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” wrist contraption combined with a personal GPS. As her gift, we picked up the tab on the unit and will take care of the low monthly payments for her for as long as she has the unit.
Oh, I have a few other things for her as well, but I won’t ruin the surprise — she DOES read my column, you know!
So, be thoughtful with your gifts to one another, love and squeeze those in your life who make you happy. Together we can make the world a better place. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa to you, our loyal readers and advertisers. We love you all! When all is said and done, all that matters is that we give the gift of love, and for me I ask that we all remember the reason for the season — Happy Birthday Jesus.
