Etsuko Yasunaga has fun looking for the ideal present for someone she doesn’t even know.
By Etsuko Yasunaga
I HAVE many kind-hearted friends. Amongst those, Shaz is one of those people with the biggest heart of all. She is generous and it’s her nature to help others in need or who are less fortunate. Shaz has a friend Brooke who works in an aged care facility. As the festive season approaches Brooke organises gift giving for the residents. When Brooke started including additional aged care facilities and needed more presents, Shaz said she would use her network to help.
Shaz quickly creates a post explaining about this Secret Santa project and asks for volunteers on her Facebook profile. It’s truly amazing to see how quickly people respond, and within a day or so 50 volunteer positions are filled. It’s really heart-warming to see so many people willing to help out this great cause.
I HAVE many kind-hearted friends. Amongst those, Shaz is one of those people with the biggest heart of all. She is generous and it’s her nature to help others in need or who are less fortunate. Shaz has a friend Brooke who works in an aged care facility. As the festive season approaches Brooke organises gift giving for the residents. When Brooke started including additional aged care facilities and needed more presents, Shaz said she would use her network to help.
Shaz quickly creates a post explaining about this Secret Santa project and asks for volunteers on her Facebook profile. It’s truly amazing to see how quickly people respond, and within a day or so 50 volunteer positions are filled. It’s really heart-warming to see so many people willing to help out this great cause.
This is my second year participating in the Old Folks Home Gift Giving and it’s really brilliant. You are assigned to one of the residents with some interests and suggestions, gender and age so that providing gift for the person is easier. Last year I was assigned to an 83-year-old woman who liked teddies and Elvis (an interesting combination, I thought). This person was also interested in bathroom goodies and a calendar.
Although no formal price limit applied, to ensure fairness amongst the participants and the recipients, we were given a certain upper limit. I like a set assignment like that very much. Anyone can provide the perfect gift if the fund is unlimited.
I kept my eyes open for those items, and was over the moon to find a cute teddy well within the budget. In the end I omitted Elvis because the ones I could find were yet more plastic objects Mother Earth didn’t need. A few amenity goods and a calendar added, I wrapped my presents for the stranger and placed them in a paper bag. I wrote a few words of festive season greetings and included in that too.
Then I delivered it to my friend Shaz. My part was done and everything else was taken care of. I felt accomplished and uplifted. I learned that even if you don’t know the recipient, if you take time and pay attention to the whole process, you are rewarded with the pleasure of gift giving.
This year, I’m preparing a gift for a woman who likes nice fragrances and sweet treats. Candles are not allowed in an aged care facility, as no flames are permitted there. Rather than going to a chain store to purchase the present, I wanted my gift to be unique and local. I wandered through Mirboo North Market in Baromi Park after parkrun volunteering, and found the perfect gift. A farm in Fish Creek produces handmade fragrant goods. I bought shower steamers with lavender, rose geranium and frankincense, lemon myrtle and orange, bergamot patchouli fragrances. I also bought wardrobe fresheners with lavender and cedar wood. The beautiful smell of cloves, lemon myrtle, cinnamon, and calendula are the ingredients for the aroma jar which I added to the bag.
Now I can almost visualise the recipient’s smile when she uses them. I can also hear the words of appreciation when she smells them. A box of chocolate is a sweet treat which she can enjoy with others in the home. I may include a watercolour painting of a eucalyptus leaf in the paper bag, as this person loves the forest.
I really enjoyed spending time looking for the ideal present for someone I don’t even know. She wasn’t one of many to be ticked off the recipients list. She was the only person I needed to focus on. I made sure my gift was within the set budget, and my thoughts and care went into choosing them. I will wrap them carefully and will choose the words on the card thoughtfully. I truly hope the gift I prepared will bring jolly Christmas spirit to this person.
In my opinion giving gifts makes us happier than receiving them. I’m grateful to have a friend who reminds me every year to embrace the joy of giving, to celebrate the art of thoughtful gestures and to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us even if they are strangers.
Although no formal price limit applied, to ensure fairness amongst the participants and the recipients, we were given a certain upper limit. I like a set assignment like that very much. Anyone can provide the perfect gift if the fund is unlimited.
I kept my eyes open for those items, and was over the moon to find a cute teddy well within the budget. In the end I omitted Elvis because the ones I could find were yet more plastic objects Mother Earth didn’t need. A few amenity goods and a calendar added, I wrapped my presents for the stranger and placed them in a paper bag. I wrote a few words of festive season greetings and included in that too.
Then I delivered it to my friend Shaz. My part was done and everything else was taken care of. I felt accomplished and uplifted. I learned that even if you don’t know the recipient, if you take time and pay attention to the whole process, you are rewarded with the pleasure of gift giving.
This year, I’m preparing a gift for a woman who likes nice fragrances and sweet treats. Candles are not allowed in an aged care facility, as no flames are permitted there. Rather than going to a chain store to purchase the present, I wanted my gift to be unique and local. I wandered through Mirboo North Market in Baromi Park after parkrun volunteering, and found the perfect gift. A farm in Fish Creek produces handmade fragrant goods. I bought shower steamers with lavender, rose geranium and frankincense, lemon myrtle and orange, bergamot patchouli fragrances. I also bought wardrobe fresheners with lavender and cedar wood. The beautiful smell of cloves, lemon myrtle, cinnamon, and calendula are the ingredients for the aroma jar which I added to the bag.
Now I can almost visualise the recipient’s smile when she uses them. I can also hear the words of appreciation when she smells them. A box of chocolate is a sweet treat which she can enjoy with others in the home. I may include a watercolour painting of a eucalyptus leaf in the paper bag, as this person loves the forest.
I really enjoyed spending time looking for the ideal present for someone I don’t even know. She wasn’t one of many to be ticked off the recipients list. She was the only person I needed to focus on. I made sure my gift was within the set budget, and my thoughts and care went into choosing them. I will wrap them carefully and will choose the words on the card thoughtfully. I truly hope the gift I prepared will bring jolly Christmas spirit to this person.
In my opinion giving gifts makes us happier than receiving them. I’m grateful to have a friend who reminds me every year to embrace the joy of giving, to celebrate the art of thoughtful gestures and to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us even if they are strangers.