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Natural Awakenings NYC & Long Island

In This Issue: December 2019

In This Issue: December 2019

A Modest Proposal - Publishers Letter

I’ll admit it—I get a little sappy around the holidays. I’m a sucker for Christmas music; I start listening to it before Thanksgiving. It makes Michael crazy!

But it also gives me angst. First I feel an overwhelming need to start a gift list. I find myself buying just to buy, and then I’ve wasted my money on gifts no one really wants. Then comes the strange impulse to keep on buying when it’s really not necessary. At this point, our two teenage boys don’t need much, and it’s impossible to shop for them anyway. All they seem to want is money.

Must you only give material items to make someone happy? I wondered how our boys would feel if we gave them more of our time instead. So this year, rather than making a gift list, I made a proposal to my crew: What if we don’t exchange presents this year, and we go on a trip to experience something together instead? What if we put down our phones and tablets, jump into the ocean, go on a hike, walk on a beach, paddle a boat, try a new cuisine, explore an unfamiliar culture, or just sit and talk—something, anything, that does not involve wrapped gifts?

I’d been mulling the idea over for some time, but I was inspired to act by this month’s article “The Generous Heart: How Giving Transforms Us,” which discusses how we can give and do for others without having to buy things. The article reframes the concept of giving so there are no material expectations—just a desire to make life better or more joyful for the recipient. I know that if my boys tell me, “Hey, Mom, let’s go sit on the beach and watch the sunrise” instead of opening up presents, my heart will blossom.

When our little quad is happy, healthy and safe, and when we have time to be together and connect, that’s the only gift I need.

Wishing you happiness, health, and safety this holiday season,

Cyrece Lehrman
Co-Publisher



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