f²: Our take on “Full Circle Giving”
“One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.” ― George Eliot
Let’s face it — the process of giving is no simple matter. Joyful as giving may be — or as we have been led to believe — presents are loaded with meaning and finding the right ones can be complicated and stressful, especially at this time of year.
But as far as I’m concerned, giving a present without thought or meaning is squandering away a luxury — and I think I’d rather not give at all than give without consideration. Over the years, I have re-found the joy in giving by giving simply as well as ethically. I always start by asking myself what can I give which might improve a small part of someone’s daily life? Something useful, beautiful to look at, lovely to hold or that provides comfort. It’s the things we use daily or frequently that become ingrained in our memories and remind us of the people who gave them to us — no matter how big, little, expensive or not. And if these presents are thoughtfully designed or handmade from sustainable materials, they have all the more chance of being cherished and less likely to end up forgotten and unused in a cupboard to be re-gifted, donated to charity or take up unnecessary space in a landfill later down the line.
This holiday season, Fabulous Fabsters are doing our own version of the Twelve Days of Christmas with suggestions for enduring presents that can improve the daily lives of loved ones while also beneftting the people who make them and causing minimal upset to the environment — our take on “Full Circle Giving”. We’d love to know what you think and please let us know if you have any suggestions.
All the best. Christine
P.S. Our suggestions can be found here.
