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Süs Shawhan
Joined Kanu Hawaii:
Hometown:
Hometown:
Nov 28, 2009
Waimanalo, Hawaii
Waimanalo, Hawaii
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Voluntary Simplicity - Christmas, 1978
Dec 21, 2009
Yes, 1978. That year my commitment to environmental change by way of personal responsibility was at its peak. I had begun cooking vegetarian food, sewing my family's clothes, buying in bulk, and I refused to drive a car. My daughter still talks about the rides to preschool on the back of my bike.
Still, Christmas was the big challenge. My ohana were not all in sync with my new (and, admittedly, evangelistic) simplicity life choice. My requests for a 'secret santa' instead of individual gifts was not received well. Discussions of homemade gifts got tense with all the 8-5 people feeling overburdened by life in general. Easier to just grab anything and wrap it up. The closest we could come to agreement was on cost. Most agreed to tone it down and try to keep costs of gifts down. That was a start.
My situation was unique as I was a full time mother and student - a more flexible schedule than the others, but with a lot less money. I decided to forge ahead with my simple 'alternative' gift ideas. Perhaps one of them would hear my reasoning and be curious.
Here were some of my gift projects:
- Cook and bake! I had a huge kitchen, good recipes and could engage the kids in the process. A lot of cookies, candies and fruit cakes were wrapped for presents that year.
- Kids as Elves! The grandparents, uncles and aunties adored the kids, so anything they made would be loved. Our big table was turned into an 'art factory' as the kids turned out various styles of paintings/collage/drawings on sheets of 8 X 11" paper which I later glued to a blank calander. Twelve months of kids' art! In between this marathon art-fest, they decorated Sunday comics and plain tissue paper to use for gift wrap. (Their energy was boundless!)
- Recycled gifts! This was tricky. I knew I had to give things that were meaningful to me and to the receiver. There were scarves and shawls, but the best idea was books! I had a collection of favorites; some even signed by the authors. Everyone in my family loves books.
On Christmas day I discovered that I had indeed affected some. All of the gifts we made were loved by the recipients, but there was one special surprise that still makes me smile.
Recycled gifts; who would have thought that idea would be so special? I had selected an favorite beautiful poetry book for my mother -- one by a poet we both appreciated. I also marked one page with an inserted note about how the poem reminded me of her. She grinned when she got it, and holding it against her chest, pushed me to open her gift for me. It was a book. Yes, a 'recycled' poetry book ... and ... yes, by the same poet! Inside, my mom had marked a poem especially for me. I don't think any present has ever meant so much to me. We laughed and cried.
I see now how my mother herself reinvented gift giving that year. Now every birthday or holiday I look forward to her special little bundles -- old photographs, unusual trinkets or souvenirs from our years of travel, pieces of art or crafts, even letters or cards from my youth ... all complete with her stories, laughter and history.
Priceless.
Still, Christmas was the big challenge. My ohana were not all in sync with my new (and, admittedly, evangelistic) simplicity life choice. My requests for a 'secret santa' instead of individual gifts was not received well. Discussions of homemade gifts got tense with all the 8-5 people feeling overburdened by life in general. Easier to just grab anything and wrap it up. The closest we could come to agreement was on cost. Most agreed to tone it down and try to keep costs of gifts down. That was a start.
My situation was unique as I was a full time mother and student - a more flexible schedule than the others, but with a lot less money. I decided to forge ahead with my simple 'alternative' gift ideas. Perhaps one of them would hear my reasoning and be curious.
Here were some of my gift projects:
- Cook and bake! I had a huge kitchen, good recipes and could engage the kids in the process. A lot of cookies, candies and fruit cakes were wrapped for presents that year.
- Kids as Elves! The grandparents, uncles and aunties adored the kids, so anything they made would be loved. Our big table was turned into an 'art factory' as the kids turned out various styles of paintings/collage/drawings on sheets of 8 X 11" paper which I later glued to a blank calander. Twelve months of kids' art! In between this marathon art-fest, they decorated Sunday comics and plain tissue paper to use for gift wrap. (Their energy was boundless!)
- Recycled gifts! This was tricky. I knew I had to give things that were meaningful to me and to the receiver. There were scarves and shawls, but the best idea was books! I had a collection of favorites; some even signed by the authors. Everyone in my family loves books.
On Christmas day I discovered that I had indeed affected some. All of the gifts we made were loved by the recipients, but there was one special surprise that still makes me smile.
Recycled gifts; who would have thought that idea would be so special? I had selected an favorite beautiful poetry book for my mother -- one by a poet we both appreciated. I also marked one page with an inserted note about how the poem reminded me of her. She grinned when she got it, and holding it against her chest, pushed me to open her gift for me. It was a book. Yes, a 'recycled' poetry book ... and ... yes, by the same poet! Inside, my mom had marked a poem especially for me. I don't think any present has ever meant so much to me. We laughed and cried.
I see now how my mother herself reinvented gift giving that year. Now every birthday or holiday I look forward to her special little bundles -- old photographs, unusual trinkets or souvenirs from our years of travel, pieces of art or crafts, even letters or cards from my youth ... all complete with her stories, laughter and history.
Priceless.
This Journal published through the Simplify the Holidays campaign.
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