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Give the gift of experience and belonging.
“I cherish the notion of the gift economy that we might back away from the grinding system, which reduces everything to a commodity and leaves most of us bereft of what we really want: a sense of belonging and relationship and purpose and beauty, which can never be commoditized.”
– Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
Dear Reader,
I hope you’ll pardon Dot’s exhaustion. This season (and yes, even this newsletter of late) is loud with calls to spend, spend, spend. And I don’t know about you, but I find consumption an exhausting pursuit. I can feel anxiety building in my bones — along with a compulsion to purge my house of … stuff. Living in the same house for almost a quarter century can be lovely. A kitchen door still bears the pencil marks of growing children, measured once a year. But it also means that items accumulate, and sentimental children (and their mom) hang on to their Thomas the Tank Engine, their Lego, their participation trophies.
A decade or so ago, I began focusing on giving experiences for the Dot family. One year, we all took chess classes from a Master; another, we spent a day horseback riding; still another was an unexpected concert, where a symphony played the music of ET while we all watched the film.
Lately, I’ve moved on to board games — we’ve loved Hot Seat (though keep your skin thick!), Scattergories, Settlers of Catan. And jigsaw puzzles! Anything that pulls us closer over the few days we have together over the holidays.
If you’re looking to give an experience, Bluedot Marketplace editor Elizabeth Weinstein has put together a list of ideas.
But, of course, keep Robin Wall Kimmerer’s thoughtful and meaningful advice in mind, as outlined in her wonderful book The Serviceberry (which is, incidentally, a lovely gift idea; read Bluedot contributor Chris Lysik’s review). What we’re all fundamentally seeking is “a sense of belonging and relationship and purpose and beauty, which can never be commoditized.” Cheers to that.
Purposefully,
Dot
A meatless diet significantly benefits the environment and its inhabitants. Try one plant-based meal a week!
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