On Monday, my daughter Imogen and I were the filling in a truck sandwich as we drove from our quiet village, along the busy motorway, through the heavy rain, to the city shops.
I wanted to buy some white sneakers, and Imogen suggested we visit the Converse shop. I protested: “Converse sneakers are too expensive!” but Imogen pushed me through the door, and soon I was trying on some All-Star low tops. They were perfect. Imogen told me to take the shoes to the counter, and I again protested, but she refused to listen, insisting she would buy them for me. Now I’m the proud owner of my first pair of Converse sneakers. I’m grinning.
A while ago, I dipped into a few of my husband’s crime novels which feature a woman who likes to wrap her arms around herself while wearing red Converse sneakers. That action and those shoes are her trademarks. (The author mentions them on almost every page of the book!) They’re her look.
What will my look be this summer? It will be my white Converse sneakers worn with floaty printed dresses. What is my trademark action? I didn’t realise I had one until I started watching videos of myself. Now I can see that I constantly move every part of my body. I turn my head, tap my feet and wave my arms, punctuating every word I speak.
We’re living in a muddy, damp world. It’s been raining for months. Everything – walls, bricks, trees, fences, gates, patios – has turned green with moulds, mosses and lichens. And it’s cold. Even though summer is only a few weeks away, I’m still wearing my boots, coat and, some days, even my gloves.
At the moment, I can’t wear my new sneakers because of the rain (unless I’d rather have brown shoes instead of white ones). I can only look at them. So I look and feel grateful I’ve got them due to Imogen’s generosity.
Generosity: how do we encourage our kids to be generous? Do we point out how much our children have compared to other people? Perhaps we make them give things to others instead of getting more for themselves? Maybe we don’t give Christmas gifts to our kids and instead donate our Christmas money to the poor?
Or do kids learn to be generous by experiencing generosity themselves?
What do you think?
Something Extra
I once wrote a blog post and recorded a podcast called Respecting Kids and Christmas Presents and explored the idea of a simple Christmas without gifts. Here’s an excerpt from the post:
Does having a simple Christmas sound good? It does to me.
This year, like last year and the one before, I wanted to announce that I’m not buying a lot of Christmas presents. I thought about saying that I’m not buying any at all. I didn’t want to think and think until the perfect gift ideas came to mind. I wanted to avoid battling my way around the shops or websites looking for everything at a good price. If I’d decided not to buy any gifts, think of all the money I’d have saved. And what about the long and tedious task of wrapping everything up?
Instead of worrying about gifts, I could have concentrated only on the spiritual side of Advent. For once, I could have prepared for Christmas without the distraction of present shopping.
Even though it was tempting, I chose not to eliminate the present giving side of Christmas. I’m doing all the things that I find difficult.
A few years ago, I found this quote: by Eugene Boylan in his book, This Tremendous Lover:
“… consider for a moment the sacrifices the parents have to make, to make Christmas all that tradition says it should be for their children. The expense, the worry, the trouble, the patience, the fatigue, the bitterness of financial limitations to one’s power of gratifying a child’s dream – the list is endless.
Think alone what is involved in Christmas shopping, where a large family and a small income are involved. And the thought can easily arise, especially for the ‘detached’ Christian: Is it all worth it? Of course, it is all worth it. It is done in memory of Christ; it is done to build up an idea of Christ; It is done for Christ; it is done to Christ! Amen, I say to you whatsoever you did to these my least brethren, you did it to me. When the New Year brings an end to those halcyon days for the children, this service done to Christ is the consolation that the parents should have in facing the expense…”
I included it in a blog post, and then I wrote:
And I realise that every Christmas is an opportunity to make sacrifices for others. Christmas is not about reducing the workload or stress for myself. It’s about doing things out of love, making others happy and putting smiles on little faces. This is part of my spiritual Christmas preparation…
Why not check out the rest of my post, Respecting Kids and Christmas Presents?
If you read the comments, you’ll find some more thoughts about encouraging our kids to be generous people. Here’s a snippet from one of them:
…We could tell our kids that we’re not giving them gifts. It’s not fair when there are so many people who have less than us. But I think we learn to be generous by experiencing generosity ourselves.
Like love, generosity isn’t something that we can learn about unless we’ve experienced it. We can’t tell someone to be generous. Kids see our love and sacrifices in the joy of present giving. Perhaps they see God’s generosity also. Hopefully, they will want to be generous themselves.
This is what I have experienced with my children. Present giving becomes much more important than present receiving. We want to make others happy and our joy comes from that rather than from getting the gift we were hoping for…
Photos
Several years ago, I loved wearing long skirts and sneakers even when bushwalking. Whatever the season or the year, I always wear flat shoes. I love comfortable feet!
So, I’m wondering…
What’s your trademark look? What will you be wearing this summer or winter? Do you like jeans or dresses? Informal or formal? And what about your feet? High heels or low ones? Boots or shoes? Do you love sneakers like me?
What action defines you? Do you sit still, cool, calm and poised? Or do you vibrate with energy with your body constantly in motion? Do you speak with your hands, or do they like to stay hidden in your pockets or folded in your lap?
And have you started your Christmas shopping?
