Mrs Vee’s Cup of Words – Give the gift of time

Christmas is here.

We look forward to this festive season because it means family time, gifts and vacations.

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But it’s also the time of the year when people overspend and forget to think about the coming month which is the long, painful January.

We tell ourselves to make the festive season awesome and enjoyable for the family.

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We convince ourselves about the need to buy expensive gifts and forget about the simple things that count. They are love, time, caring and fun.

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Before you start showering family with gifts, look at what your family has been through in the past 11 months.

Think about the good times, bad times, let-downs and achievements

We live in a time when both parents are working and that means little time is spent with our children.

During the year it’s about work, school and homework. These all make the holidays a time to reconnect with family and spending time with your loved ones.

Use this time to catch up and talk about the things you might have missed during the year and just relax together.

Find things you can do together like taking a walk in the park and maybe have a picnic, help out at a charity home in your area or visit an art gallery.

We need to understand as a society that spending time with family does not always mean money.

We value price tags and fail to value the time we spend with loves one and what it means.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t spoil ourselves.

I’m saying let’s add value to what we do with our families. Memories are free in life – the only price you have to pay is your time to create them.

This festive season, let’s allow ourselves to be simple and appreciate the little things we have.

Imagine someone who has little but still manages to share a smile.

Think of someone who has nothing but still hopes for something better tomorrow.

As you draft a budget for how much to spend on gifts and food – you need to remember to also draft a ‘budget’ for your time with family.

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