This time of year has in the past been a time of mixed feelings. Xmas – overindulgence, consumerism over-the-top, extravagance, stress and expectation.

I was down town the other day and I saw this family buying their Christmas presents and my first thought was, can they afford to buy presents or is there an expectation that at this time of year, you must buy presents for loved ones, and the expectation is that if someone buys you a present then you must buy one in return? Expectation. And because we’ve done it in the past, must we continue that tradition?
A few years back we stopped buying Xmas presents and decided that the most important thing at this time was sharing quality time with loved ones. And if there were gifts to be given, they were hand made for the person and were given with aroha.
But this year feels different. That feeling of extravagance, overindulgence and consumerism is not as ‘heavy’ as I’ve seen it in the past. I’ve always been relaxed about this time of year and it seems that way for others and people are starting to see what this time of year is really about. This is one of those “something in the air” things I spoke about yesterday…
SO! Expect not and give lots! Especially the gift of aroha because the gift of love and time is what will be remembered.
Arohanui,
Jo x
PS – I’m so excited about spending time with whānau this week – yay!!