EILEEN ADLER

"Crisis is opportunity,” a Chinese proverb. Holidays can become a time of crisis: what to buy, whom to buy for, how much to spend, affordability, where to shop, when to shop, but it can also become a welcomed opportunity to change the pedagogy. Why must we think of material and tangible gifts to show how much we care?

1. Wish someone a good day through a phone call, an email, a text, or even snail mail.
2. Compliment someone on one thing you like, or better yet, more than one.
3. Tell someone how much they mean to you in identifying their acts of kindness.
4. Send a friend an uplifting message. Affirmations mean so much and take so little time.
5. Thank you for a specific moment of appreciation.
6. Without asking, give a loved one a warm cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Yes, add a sweet.
7. Bring a token of appreciation to a loved one. A thoughtful note, a favorite treat, a beautiful flower from your garden. Or telling a loved one, you stay put, I’ll take care of that.
8. Wrap a group of affirmations together tied with a bow. “You are enough, You have enough, You do enough.” “Life is tough, but so are you.” “I am so proud of you.” “You have experienced challenges in the past and are more resilient because of them.” “You are allowed to feel upset, angry and sad sometimes because that’s part of being human.”
9. Spread positivity – for a whole day, refrain from saying anything negative.
10. Tell your loved ones what you love about them.