Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Homemade
I really need some input here. I do a lot of different arty/crafty things. And, I usually do a pretty good job if I say so myself. Most of my work lately is bead weaving, but I also have done some knitting and sewing and painting (I don't claim the painting to be any good!) Anyhow, I often times give something homemade to someone as a gift at Christmas or a birthday. However, sometimes I get a less than excited reaction, and it makes me wonder if homemade gifts can be done too often? I mean, do I give a homemade gift one year and not the next? Does it make me seem cheap? One gift I am working on now I think is beautiful, and although I am only half way finished, I have already invested about 4 hours into it. I personally think that the investment of time makes the homemade item worth more than the store bought item, but I could be bias! So, I really need some folks to chime in here! Are homemade gifts ever not appropriate? Can they be done too often? Are they sometimes perceived as "cheap?" I need to know before Christmas rolls around! If you don't tell me, you might just get an unwanted homemade gift! Here are some pictures of recent homemade things to help your thinking process!
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A teacher decided he wanted to do something different, so he moved overseas and began teaching in a refugee camp in Africa. The conditions were poor – no electricity, and few supplies for the one-room school, but the refugee children and their parents were excited about learning and the opportunity it provided. The teacher loved their enthusiasm which somewhat compensated for the conditions and he stayed for a number of years. Eventually, it was time for the teacher to retire and return to America. At the end of the year, the students and their parents had a celebration because they loved the teacher and his commitment to them over the years. There was one boy who was sad because he was very poor and did not have enough money for food, let alone for a present. This really bothered the boy and he thought a long time about what he could give his beloved teacher. Finally, he had an inspiration. He borrowed a bucket and walked to the ocean, a three hour journey. When he arrived, he filled the bucket with white sand from the beach and carried the filled bucket the three hours back to the refugee camp, where he proudly presented the bucket of sand to his teacher. The teacher was puzzled, but thanked the boy for the present, and said, “You didn’t have to walk to the ocean, you could have given me sand from here in the camp.” The boy shook his head and explained, “You don’t understand, the gift is not the sand. The gift is the journey.”
Sure you could just buy things, but it's effort that makes gifts special...
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