By Christine Grayden
OVER the past four and half years my concept of time has shifted radically. Prior to April 2020, time was the enemy. I grabbed whatever time I could to churn through 60 hours a week’s work for the various community groups I was heavily committed to at the time.
But life turns on a dime, and in a matter of days I was rendered incapacitated.
The healing body cares not a jot for deadlines. Healing knows only its own time. Everything became slow motion as life taught me the true meaning of time. Now I see time as a gift; in fact the greatest gift any of us can have, and give.
OVER the past four and half years my concept of time has shifted radically. Prior to April 2020, time was the enemy. I grabbed whatever time I could to churn through 60 hours a week’s work for the various community groups I was heavily committed to at the time.
But life turns on a dime, and in a matter of days I was rendered incapacitated.
The healing body cares not a jot for deadlines. Healing knows only its own time. Everything became slow motion as life taught me the true meaning of time. Now I see time as a gift; in fact the greatest gift any of us can have, and give.
It's that time of the year when thoughts turn to Christmas and summer holiday gatherings. For you that might mean decisions about what to give to family and friends. For various reasons, many people no longer want material gifts, but would appreciate something beneficial anyway.
This year I have made a wish list of examples of time-gift ideas you may consider gifting. I’ve had some fun with my sketch book and graphics program to show you don’t need to be Rembrandt to produce a fun gift card.
Here are a few suggestions of meaningful gifts that don't involve gifting solid objects – just a personalised gift card or note to let your friends and loved ones know you’re thinking of them.
• Gift a block of your time to share a skill you have that they may need. For example, I’m a whizz at Power Point, and often put presentations together for people.
• Invite them to a picnic at a surprise location - you provide the transport, food, drink and folding chairs.
This year I have made a wish list of examples of time-gift ideas you may consider gifting. I’ve had some fun with my sketch book and graphics program to show you don’t need to be Rembrandt to produce a fun gift card.
Here are a few suggestions of meaningful gifts that don't involve gifting solid objects – just a personalised gift card or note to let your friends and loved ones know you’re thinking of them.
• Gift a block of your time to share a skill you have that they may need. For example, I’m a whizz at Power Point, and often put presentations together for people.
• Invite them to a picnic at a surprise location - you provide the transport, food, drink and folding chairs.
- A busy mum of littlies would love a gift card of two or more wet, cold winter mornings’ worth of your looking after their baby and toddler in their home while they have “catch up” time – whatever that means for them. Include a list of activities you could do to keep their children happily occupied.
- Oven cleaning, linen cabinet tidying, fridge cleaning and sorting through the pantry for those past-their-use-by goods that lurk at the back – these are all things that take time that’s so hard to find. Who’s going to say no to the gift of your doing any of those jobs for them?!
- Speaking of the kitchen, if you have someone in your circle who has a big life celebration coming up, here’s a suggestion for a great gift card for them:
- Gifts of time are easy if you have gardeners to “shop” for. You could offer to take them to a nursery they wouldn’t normally visit, or a historic home and garden, or to the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens for the day.
- For more hands-on help, try one of these gift cards:
- If you have a collection of a grandmother’s “good china” boxed in a cupboard somewhere, why not bring it out and use it to gift an older person something really special, such as an invitation to your home for High Tea?
- Perhaps you know a particular location really well – the flora and fauna, the history, the geology, personalities associated with the place. Why not gift a special interest tour for your giftee and their friends? You could produce a little booklet or leaflet to go with your tour. Car pool and conclude with lunch somewhere associated in some way with the location.
There are so many time-related gifts you can give this holiday season. All you need is a piece of card, some coloured pens and some imagination.
I’ll finish with one suggestion dear to my heart: gift a friend who is a full-time carer for a family member some time when you can be with their loved one. If you don’t feel qualified, offer to go at a time when their contracted carer is with the person. So often the family member carer hovers nearby to help the contract carer. If you can be there instead to fetch and carry for the contract carer, that will allow your friend to relax a bit and truly have some time off.
You can give as much or as little time as you can spare. But trust me, whatever time you are able to gift and for whatever purpose, your gift of time will be truly valued. Happy gifting!