#ChronicChristmas Day 15: Give the Gift of Time




Everyone is so tired. No matter who I’ve talked to in the last few weeks, the common theme is being so exhausted that they simply can’t enjoy the lead-up to the holidays. And I could wax poetic (okay, more accurately rant) about how ridiculous it is that we have all become so busy that we don’t have time to live, but I’ll save that for the post-holiday slump. Instead, I’m going to suggest something that might help. 

Give each other the gift of Time.

The gift of Time doesn’t come in a box, and it doesn’t actually cost anything. In fact, it may save you money, but that’s not why you do it. You do it to give someone extra time to catch up on other important tasks, or maybe enough time to catch a nap.

To give the gift of time, simply agree to not exchange gifts with someone. This means you don’t have to spend time thinking about what to get them, running around trying to find it in the stores, bringing it home and wrapping it, and then finding time to exchange gifts.

You can also give the gift of Time by not getting together for a holiday drink, lunch, or cocktail party. Save it for January, that dark month when nothing fun happens. Or turn it on its head and like my friend Michele and I did last week, literally give each other the gift of our time. Instead of exchanging presents, we had dinner together. Nothing fancy, just pizza, a glass of wine, and face time.

Can you think of other ways to give the gift of time?


#ChronicChristmas is an Advent calendar of tips for a sane holiday season with a chronic illness. Check back tomorrow for the next tip. To see all the posts in the series, click the #ChronicChristmas label below this post.

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